


The Greatest Tale - a Skyrim story

by AjaHayes



Series: The Greatest Tale [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Complete, Dragonborn (Elder Scrolls), Elder Scrolls Lore, Eventual Romance, Gen, Riften, Skyrim Main Quest, Tamriel, Thieves Guild, Thieves Guild Questline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 49
Words: 122,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22814767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AjaHayes/pseuds/AjaHayes
Summary: Now, you may think I'm being full of myself by calling this the greatest tale. But in truth, when a tale such as this one is told by a being like myself... you'd do well to listen.I hope you have some time on your hands. It's a long one.You're familiar with the land of Skyrim, I assume? Good. That is where the tale begins, with a Dragonborn who doesn't yet know the meaning of that word.
Relationships: Brynjolf (Elder Scrolls)/Original Female Character(s), Brynjolf/Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn
Series: The Greatest Tale [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1640113
Comments: 17
Kudos: 28





	1. An Introduction that You are Lucky to Receive, Thank You Very Much

Ah. No doubt you're here looking for a story. Well, you're lucky – I just finished recording the greatest so far. It has love and loss, grand acts of heroism... and a little of the opposite. It is the story of a girl who goes from rags to riches – who is abandoned by both parents, though only one by choice. She finds herself in an unfamiliar world that she will go on to save.

What's that? I'm spoiling the ending? Well, saving something doesn't mean it's safe forever.

Besides, you likely won't make it to the ending. This is a long tale – it spans many years, though I have tried to condense it where possible. I'd argue that it's worth it, as I am the greatest storyteller of all, and this is my greatest story. Are you ready to listen?

The girl's name is Lorien, though it wasn't always. In fact, her father named her Sahla.


	2. The Beginning of Things

Sahla woke slowly, with her neck already hurting.

She blinked a few times before looking around her, and found that she was on a moving cart. A man in red and brown armour was driving it – did that mean Imperial or Stormcloak? She couldn't quite remember. There was another man sat across from her, in a blue cuirass.

'Hey, you,' he said when he caught her looking. Sahla quickly averted her eyes. 'You're finally awake. Those Imperials must have hit you hard.'

So red meant Imperial – blue meant Stormcloak. 'I don't really remember,' Sahla told the man.

'You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush – same as us, and that thief over there.' He jerked his head to the side, indicating the man on his left.

Sahla glanced at the thief, but he just glared. She looked back to the soldier. 'I'm Sahla.'

'Ralof,' the Stormcloak man said. 'I would shake your hand, but...'

Sahla looked down. Her own hands were tied too. 'You're a Stormcloak?' she asked Ralof.

Before he could respond, the thief shook his head. 'Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. The Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell!' He turned to Sahla. 'You and me – we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants.'

'We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, horse thief,' Ralof shrugged.

'Shut up back there!' the soldier driving the carriage yelled.

Sahla looked over at the thief. 'You were going to Hammerfell?' she asked quietly.

'Yeah,' he responded. 'You're from there?'

'My mother was. I always lived in Cyrodiil.'

Horse Thief nodded slowly, then looked at the other man in the cart. He was gagged and a glare was frozen on his face. 'What's wrong with him?' Horse Thief asked.

'Watch your tongue!' Ralof hissed. 'You're speaking of Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King.'

'Ulfric?' Horse Thief echoed, turning to face the gagged man. 'The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you...' He turned to look at Ralof and Sahla. 'Oh gods, where are they taking us?'

Ralof shrugged. 'I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits.'

'What?' Sahla interrupted. 'We're going to be executed?'

After a moment, Ralof nodded.

'But I only just got here!' Sahla insisted. 'I haven't done anything wrong!'

Horse Thief shook his head, looking at the floor of the cart. 'This can't be happening. This isn't happening.'

Ralof interrupted him. 'Hey. What village are you from, horse thief?'

'Why do you care?'

'A Nord's last thoughts should be of home.'

'Rorikstead,' Horse Thief responded after a moment. 'I'm... I'm from Rorikstead.'

Sahla wondered what a Redguard's last thoughts should be of. She thought of her mother, who had died when Sahla was young. She thought of her father, who had left her alone with only a letter. She tried to think of home, but found there wasn't much left to think of. She had come to Skyrim to find a new home, only to be immediately carted off for execution.

Sahla glanced around her frantically. Could she jump from the cart without the guards noticing? Perhaps Ralof would cover for her. No – they were approaching a village now. She wouldn't be able to get away fast enough. And where would she go? She was unarmed, and her hands were tied. If she had her bow she'd stand a good chance, but if she encountered a bear in her current state she'd be dead within seconds.

'General Tullius, Sir!' someone called out. 'The headsman is waiting!'

'Good,' a voice responded. 'Let's get this over with.'

Ralof scoffed. 'Look at him – General Tullius, the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this.'

'Where are we?' Sahla asked him.

'This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here.' Ralof looked away from Lorien, seemingly talking more to himself. 'Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny... when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe.'

Ralof was snapped out of his reminiscing by a harsh voice. 'Get those prisoners out of the carts. Move it!'

'Why are we stopping?' Horse Thief asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

'Why do you think?' Ralof sighed. 'End of the line. Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us.'

A guard approached their cart and signalled for Ulfric to get off.

'No, wait!' Horse Thief yelled. 'We're not rebels!'

Sahla concentrated on getting down from the cart safely. She appreciated the thief including her in his pleas, but could tell they were pointless.

'Face your death with some courage, thief,' Ralof was saying.

Horse Thief turned to him frantically. 'You've got to tell them! We weren't with you – this is a mistake!'

The guard pushed Horse Thief a little harder than the other prisoners, towards what Sahla realised was an execution block. She tried to breathe steadily, but it came out shaky and louder than she'd intended. _You are about to die. This is where it ends._

The harsh voice from earlier began yelling again. 'Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time.'

Ralof scoffed. 'Empire love their damn lists,' he told Sahla.

Another guard spoke. 'Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm.'

'It has been an honour, Jarl Ulfric,' Ralof murmured as Ulfric left them.

The guard continued with his list. 'Ralof of Riverwood. Lokir of Rorikstead.'

So _that's_ what Horse Thief's name was. He was still begging for his life. 'I'm not a rebel!' he insisted to anyone who would listen – which was no one. 'You can't do this!'

With a sudden surge of bravery – or perhaps foolishness – Lokir lurched forwards and ran towards the gates of Helgen. The harsh-voiced captain yelled after him, but Lokir kept running until he was shot down by archers. Sahla's mouth dropped open involuntarily.

'Anyone else feel like running?' the captain asked the remaining prisoners. No one responded.

Another guard broke the silence. 'Wait, you there – the Redguard. What's your name?'

Sahla shut her mouth and looked up. 'I'm Lorien,' she told the soldier. It was the first word that came into her head. She'd been thinking about changing her name anyway – what better time than now?

He frowned at the paper he was holding. 'She's not on the list, Captain,' he told the woman next to him. 'There's no one left on the list. What should we do? She's only a child.'

Sahla wanted to protest this, but knew it would be stupid. Beside her, Ralof interrupted. 'She's no Stormcloak, I can tell you that much,' he said. 'I've never seen her in my life.'

'How old are you?' the Captain asked Sahla.

'Sixteen years.'

She sighed. 'If you're certain she's not on the list, Hadvar, get a guard to take her to Riverwood. Or anywhere. She's just a girl, and not our problem.'

'By your orders, Captain,' the guard said. He handed her the list and led Sahla away from the other prisoners.

Sahla could hardly believe it. Behind her, a priestess began giving the prisoners their last rites, but it didn't seem real.

'You had a lucky escape there, prisoner,' the guard was saying. 'The Captain isn't usually that lenient. What did you say your name was?'

'Lorien,' she told him.

'I'm Hadvar. I'll take you to Riverwood myself. I have an uncle there that I've been meaning to visit. After that, I suppose you could make your way to Whiterun.'

The names sounded so foreign to Sahla. She could barely even remember arriving in Skyrim. 'Is it far?' she asked. 'From... Riverwood to Whiterun?'

'Not at all,' Hadvar told her. 'But there are wolves about. You might be able to persuade someone to take you there.'

Sahla opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a sudden noise behind her – louder than anything she'd heard before. She and Hadvar turned on the spot, staring up at the keep, where a hulking dark shape had appeared. Sahla stopped, squinting, only half aware of Hadvar grabbing her arm. The shape had wings, enormous wings, and it was roaring. With the roar came a burst of fire, and Sahla stumbled backwards despite the creature not being near enough to hurt her. Yet.

'By the Eight!' Hadvar cried. He led Sahla towards the gate, but she couldn't stop staring at the enormous creature. It was a dragon – she was sure of it, despite having never seen one. What else could it be?

'Does this happen often in Skyrim?' she asked Hadvar.

'This isn't supposed to happen at all,' he shouted back. He kept hold of Sahla's arm and hurriedly guided her out of Helgen. They began running, and didn't stop until the village was out of sight. But she could see smoke – a lot of it.

Hadvar stopped to catch his breath, then drew his sword and cut through the rope binding Sahla's wrists. 'We have to get to Riverwood,' he told her. 'The protection there is pitiful. We need to tell everyone. Normally I would stay and help to fight that thing, but... Well, someone has to warn the people, and I'm not sure you would make it to Riverwood on your own.'

'I would if I had my bow,' Sahla told him.

Hadvar smiled grimly. 'Take mine, then.' The bow he handed her was simple but sturdy, and accompanied by a quarrel of arrows. Sahla slung both onto her back.

'What's Riverwood like?' she asked Hadvar when they began moving again.

'It's a very small village, but it's in one of the largest Holds in Skyrim – Whiterun Hold,' he explained.

'And Whiterun itself?'

'A lot larger than Riverwood, or Helgen. Almost right in the middle of Skyrim. A good place for someone like you to start off.'

Sahla frowned. 'Skyrim will take some getting used to,' she told Hadvar.

'You haven't arrived at the best of times. She's in the grip of a civil war – the Empire versus the Stormcloak rebels. Although if we're lucky, Ulfric will be killed by that damn dragon.' Hadvar sighed, running a slightly shaky hand over his hair. 'By the Eight – a dragon, here.' He glanced at Sahla, whose eyes were wide. She looked terrified. 'Have you... heard much about the war?' Hadvar asked, attempting to avoid the subject of the dragon for now.

'We heard about it a little in Cyrodiil, but I lived in the middle of nowhere. Are the... Thalmor involved?'

'More than I'd like. They got the Empire to sign a contract called the White-Gold Concordat, outlawing the worship of Talos – one of the former nine Divines. Talos is a mortal, so the Thalmor saw worship of him as sacrilegious.' Hadvar sighed. 'Thing is, the people of Skyrim don't like being told what to do or who to worship. We Nords are stubborn. People were angry, and Ulfric used that to his advantage, to rile people up. He killed High King Torygg – did you hear about that?'

Sahla frowned. 'Yes, I remember something about that. He used... his voice?'

'So they say.' Hadvar came to a stop in front of three large stone structures. They looked like rough ovals of stone with one end embedded in the ground, but each one was taller than Sahla and covered in strange engravings.

'What are these?' Sahla asked, running her fingers over one of the engravings.

Hadvar smiled a little. 'Three of Skyrim's standing stones. They'll give you a special blessing, if you choose to accept it.'

'I think I could do with a few blessings,' Sahla murmured.

'You can only accept one at a time,' Hadvar told her. 'This one's the Warrior Stone, and that's the Mage stone. The one you're next to is the Thief Stone.'

Sahla knew it wouldn't look good for her to accept the blessing of the Thief Stone in front of Hadvar, and besides, she had a little skill in that area already. She reached for the Warrior Stone instead, sliding her hand into the hole near its top. The metal circle glowed for a moment, and Sahla removed her hand.

'I would have pegged you for more of a mage,' Hadvar told her when she turned to him.

Sahla shrugged. 'Magic isn't usually a Redguard thing.'

It wasn't long before they reached Riverwood, and as soon as they arrived Hadvar headed for what looked like a blacksmith's. An older man approached him, dusting his hands on his apron.

'Hadvar!' he called. 'What are you doing here?'

Hadvar smiled and greeted the man, who Sahla assumed was the uncle he'd mentioned. 'You'll never believe me, Alvor, but there's been a dragon attack.'

'A _dragon_?' Alvor echoed. 'You aren't drunk, are you, boy? Where?'

'In Helgen.'

'Then... in it could be here any minute.' Alvor ran a hand over his beard worriedly. 'We need some sort of protection – guards, from Whiterun perhaps?'

'That's what I was thinking,' Hadvar agreed. 'And I've brought someone with me who could fetch them for us.'

Sahla looked up, and saw that Alvor was smiling at her. 'I was wondering who this was,' he admitted. 'Are you the one who got my nephew out of Helgen alive?'

Sahla laughed nervously. 'I think I was more of a hindrance than a help,' she told Alvor.

Alvor looked the girl up and down. She was wearing a plain shirt and trousers, the shirt ripped up one side, and no shoes. Her hair was long, but currently a frizzy mess, and her wrists were chafed – from ropes, Alvor guessed. 'You were a prisoner?' he asked gently.

'I haven't done anything wrong,' Sahla told him quickly. She automatically covered one of her chafed wrists with her hand, then remembered her ugly chewed nails and curled her hands into fists instead. 'I was only trying to cross the border. They were going to execute me, then...'

'Then a dragon appeared?' Alvor finished for her. He smiled. 'It's alright. I'm not about to send you back there. Why don't you come inside for a while?'

Sahla immediately felt nervous about this. Alvor and Hadvar both seemed nice enough, but one was a blacksmith and the other a soldier. If they turned out not to be so nice, she wouldn't stand a chance.

'I should get to Whiterun as soon as possible,' she told Alvor. 'If the dragon comes here...'

Hadvar nodded. 'You're right. Uncle, are there any supplies we could lend Lorien?'

'Of course,' Alvor replied. 'I'll go find some. Wait here, Lorien. Hadvar, come inside and get some food in you.'

Hadvar smiled to Sahla and followed his uncle. She gave him a small wave. While she waited for Alvor to return, she had a look around the forge. It was comfortingly similar to the one that had been near her old house. Her father had used it occasionally. Sahla laid her hand on Alvor's table and closed her eyes. _Don't think about him._

She opened her eyes again. On the table were some gauntlets, boots and a metal helmet with horns curving out of it. Nothing small enough for her to take unnoticed.

Which she shouldn't be doing, anyway. Alvor seemed very kind, and so did Hadvar – she shouldn't be taking anything from them.

_Then what will you do?_

Sahla sighed, letting her hand slide off the table. She didn't know. She hadn't planned ahead very far. All she'd wanted was to get away from the house her mother had died in, away from the house her father had left her alone in. Well, she was far away now.

Sahla had heard of Falkreath, the nearest town to the border between Skyrim and Cyrodiil. She'd been told it was small and quiet – it had sounded perfect for her to stay in until she decided what to do next. That wasn't exactly what had happened, though.

The door to the house opened again and Sahla span round on the spot. Alvor appeared, glancing around for her, then smiled.

'Ever used a forge like this?' he asked.

Sahla leant against the table. 'No, but there was one where I used to live.'

'My daughter's always asking if she can try it out,' Alvor admitted. 'I haven't let her yet, though. Here,' he said, holding out a small sack. 'Some food and money to get you to Whiterun. Please, warn the Jarl as quickly as you can.'

Sahla nodded earnestly. 'I don't know the way, but I'm sure I'll find it.'

Alvor thought about this for a moment, then turned and leaned on the wooden railings around the forge. 'Sven!' he called out. 'Come over here!'

A blonde man looked up from where he was sat – a bench outside a nearby house. He said a few words to the older woman next to him and slowly approached the forge.

'Sven, this is Lorien,' Alvor told him. 'She needs to get to Whiterun, and I was hoping you would help her.'

'Ah, the journey alone is a bit intimidating?' Sven grinned. 'I remember the feeling. You need a guide?'

Sahla nodded. 'I only just arrived here, and I have urgent news for the Jarl.'

'Already?' Sven laughed. 'Well, in that case, I'll take you there. _If_ you help me out with something.'

'What can I do?'

'Just deliver this letter to Camilla Valerius, in the Riverwood Trader.' He handed her a piece of folded paper. It wasn't sealed, but Sahla felt that she shouldn't open it. 'But don't tell her it's from me. It's an... anonymous letter. You understand?'

Sahla nodded hesitantly, looking down at the letter. 'I'll deliver it now.'

Alvor laughed, shaking his head. 'You'd better not be up to anything, Sven. I know what you're like with Camilla.' He waved to Sahla and returned to his house, wishing her good luck.

Sahla found the Riverwood Trader quite easily. When she entered, there was a man behind the counter and a woman sweeping the floor. Sahla approached the counter.

'Welcome,' the man smiled. 'I don't recognise you. Are you new around here?'

'I arrived in Skyrim recently,' Sahla told him.

'I thought as much. Travel all the way from Hammerfell?'

'No, just from Cyrodiil. I've lived there all my life.'

The man nodded. 'Are you looking to buy supplies for further travels?'

Sahla glanced down at the sack dangling from her hand. 'I'm afraid I have very little money, or I would. I'm only here to deliver a letter. Does Camilla Valerius work here?'

Upon hearing this, the woman who had been sweeping approached the counter and leaned on it. 'I'm Camilla. Is the letter for me?'

'It is,' Sahla told her, handing it over.

Camilla smiled. 'Who's it from?'

'The sender asked to remain anonymous.'

'And then signed his name?' Camilla frowned, reading the letter. Then she sighed and stuffed it in her pocket. 'Well. Thank you for delivering it, anyway.'

'Is something wrong?' Sahla asked.

'Oh, no,' Camilla said, a little sharply. 'At least I now know how Faendal truly feels about me.'

'Faendal?'

'Yes. The letter's from him,' Camilla sighed. Sahla frowned, and Camilla spotted it. 'Isn't it?'

Sahla twisted the neck of her sack uncertainly. 'I didn't think his name was Faendal.'

'Who was it?' Camilla asked, her eyes narrowing.

The man at the counter placed a hand on hers. 'Now, Camilla, this is probably a misunderstanding—'

'Do you know his name?' Camilla asked Sahla again.

Sahla glanced towards the door. If Sven had written a fake letter to paint this Faendal in a bad light, that was awful. But he was her best chance of getting to Whiterun in one piece. 'He was blonde,' she said in the end.

'Sven,' Camilla said immediately. 'He's so desperate that he would go to _these_ lengths?' She looked at Sahla as if she'd forgotten about her for a second. 'You can deliver _my_ message to him – he isn't welcome to visit me any longer.'

Sahla left the shop a little confused, and found Sven waiting for her. 'Did she read it?' he asked her.

'She did,' Sahla told him.

'And? How did she react?'

'She seemed... disappointed.'

'Ah, that's a shame,' Sven said, but he was smiling as if Sahla couldn't see him. He thought she was too oblivious to notice, then. Sahla felt anger spike within her, but willed herself to stay calm. At least until they reached Whiterun.


	3. The Perils of Being Barefoot

In the end, Sven took Sahla all the way to the Bannered Mare – an inn in the centre of Whiterun – then told her how to get to Dragonsreach. As he left, Sahla very nearly slid her hand into his pocket to feel for any coins he might be carrying, but in the end she resisted. Getting her message to the Jarl was the most important thing right now.

Dragonsreach was big enough to see from where Sahla was standing, so she had no trouble finding it. She made her way up the stone steps hurriedly, her sack bumping against her legs, and pushed one of the doors open with a little difficulty.

The hall she entered was enormous. Her old house could have fit inside it ten times, what with the vastly high ceiling. She'd never seen anything like it. There was a large fire pit in the centre, and two long tables facing it. Sahla walked past them, towards the Jarl's throne, but was stopped by a heavily armed woman. A Dunmer, Sahla realised.

'What's the meaning of this interruption?' she asked Sahla sharply. 'Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors.'

'There's been a dragon attack in... in Helgen,' Sahla told her quickly. 'I was there. I need to speak to the Jarl.'

The woman's eyes widened. 'A... dragon?' she echoed. 'You're certain? Well. Come on then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally.'

Sahla breathed a sigh of relief and followed the Dunmer woman.

The Jarl was watching her suspiciously. 'Who's this, Irileth?' he asked.

'She's from Helgen,' Irileth told him. 'There's been a dragon attack there, Balgruuf.'

Jarl Balgruuf frowned, leaning forward in his throne slightly. 'A dragon? You saw it yourself?'

Sahla bowed her head. 'I did. It landed in Helgen, and began flying towards Riverwood. Which has no guard protection,' she added pointedly.

The Jarl nodded. 'That will be rectified presently. Irileth – I need you to go to the barracks and send a patrol of guards to Riverwood.'

Irileth nodded and left the castle promptly.

Jarl Balgruuf ran a hand over his beard, thinking. He looked down at Sahla again, who was suddenly very aware of what she must look like. Dirty clothes, a small sack of food and no shoes at all – he must think her a beggar.

'What's your name?' he asked her eventually.

'Lorien,' Sahla said.

'I'm Jarl Balgruuf. I trust you are new to Whiterun?'

Sahla nodded. 'I came straight to you when I arrived.'

'Very new, then. What about Helgen – do you live there?'

An easy lie. But Sahla knew she'd be found out quickly if the Jarl asked questions. 'No,' she told him. 'I used to live in Cyrodiil, but arrived in Skyrim today. I was just... passing through Helgen.'

'You came here alone?' the Jarl asked.

Sahla began twisting the sack in her hands again. She felt the familiar urge to bite her fingernails. 'Yes,' she said eventually. 'My mother died when I was young, and my father left recently. I had to leave my home.'

'I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you for bringing me the news of the dragon attack, Lorien. You have helped me to keep my people safe, and for that I owe you a reward. Proventus!' he called. A finely dressed man approached them. 'This is my steward,' the Jarl explained to Sahla. 'Proventus, see that Lorien receives a sufficient reward for informing me of the recent dragon attack.'

Proventus blinked several times. 'There's been a dragon attack?'

'Yes, in Helgen. I'll be informing the people tomorrow. For now, can you see that Lorien is rewarded and has somewhere to sleep tonight?'

'Of course,' Proventus said after a moment. 'If you'll come with me.'

Sahla followed him back to the Bannered Mare, where he handed her a pouch of coins and directed her inside. Sahla thanked him and dropped the pouch into her sack. It was late, and she found the inn almost empty.

Hulda looked up when the door to her inn opened. The girl who entered was not someone she'd seen before – definitely not a resident of Whiterun, then. Hulda prided herself on knowing everyone in Whiterun. But not this girl. She was short, with dark hair and skin, and dressed about as simply as could be. She was clutching a sack as though it contained all her worldly possessions, and after a moment Hulda realised that it just might. And she was staring at her feet, which, Hulda realised, were bare.

'Is there anything I can get for you, dear?' Hulda asked quietly.

The girl's head jerked upwards, but after a moment her face relaxed. 'Just a room,' she murmured.

N _o room of her own to go to, then_ , Hulda thought sadly. She watched the girl reach into the depths of her sack and pull out a few coins.

'Is this enough?'

It wasn't quite. Hulda nodded and took the money. 'The room's just through there.'

The girl smiled gratefully and walked towards the room. A few moments later, she jerked her foot upwards as though she'd stood on hot coals.

Hulda hurried out from behind the bar. 'Are you alright?'

Sahla placed her sack on the floor carefully and twisted her foot so she could look at it. 'Just a splinter,' she told the kind woman. 'From the floorboards.' But for some reason, her eyes were filling with tears. Sahla blinked furiously.

The woman had already seen. 'Sit down for a minute,' she said, pulling a stool out. 'Let me help with that.'

Still blinking, Sahla sat on the stool and waited for the woman to reappear. She did, holding bandages, and knelt down to look at Sahla's foot.

It almost made Sahla cry again. Her feet were covered in dirt, but the woman didn't seem to mind. She pulled the small splinter out and began wrapping a bandage around the sole of Sahla's foot.

'I can—You don't need to,' Sahla mumbled. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's no problem at all, dear,' the woman assured her, but she passed Sahla the bandages anyway. 'You can take them into your room if you'd rather.'

Sahla nodded, not trusting herself to speak again, and hurried into her room. She shut the door behind her and sat on her bed immediately.

Her foot was fine. Usually, she would never even notice a splinter. After a minute, though, she began winding one of the bandages around her foot, and didn't stop until the bandage ran out. Then she started on the other foot, until both were crisscrossed with the white material. It was better than being completely barefoot.

When it was done, Sahla lifted her sack from the floor and looked inside. Two small loaves of bread, three bruised apples and a little meat and cheese. There were still a few loose coins in the bottom of the sack, as well as the pouch from Proventus. Sahla lifted the pouch out of the sack and put the few remaining coins in there. She wasn't sure how much it was in total, and couldn't bring herself to check yet.

Instead, she glanced around the room. There was a wardrobe opposite her, which she opened to find a small bundle of folded clothes. Left behind by someone else, perhaps? A man. Sahla lifted them out of the wardrobe and ran a hand over the fabric. Good quality – better, at least, than what she had now. Far better. No shoes, but she was used to being barefoot.

 _They might be the owner's_. No, they were definitely men's clothes – small, yes, but still. _Maybe her husband's, or her son's_. Then why were they in the guest room? Someone must have left them behind by mistake. _He might come back for them_. He shouldn't have left them in the first place.

The owner would be able to see that Sahla had taken the clothes, anyway. Her sack would look much bigger with those inside. Unless she emptied it a little.

Sahla didn't have to convince herself much further to eat – she was starving. She grabbed the bread first, eating it on its own, before remembering the cheese and meat. She didn't have a knife, so she bit into the wedge of cheese as it was. And the apples – usually she hated bruised ones, but she knew this was as good as it was going to get for a while. The apples reminded her of home, of a blurry memory. She'd been so quiet in the woods that she'd managed to feed the deer apples once.

Sahla looked at the partially eaten cheese in her hand. Her mother had hated it when she ate cheese on its own. Frowning, Sahla took another determined bite.

She ate one of the apples, one of the bread rolls and the cheese. Then she tied the coin purse to her belt and shoved the clothes into her sack before she could think about it any longer.

There was nothing else of any worth in the room. Sahla searched it twice just in case.

* * *

The next morning, the inn was considerably noisier than it had been the previous night. Sahla could hear singing and laughing from the moment she woke up.

She'd worn the same clothes to sleep in as she had all of the previous day, so there was no need to change. Instead, she slung her bow and arrows onto her back and picked up her bulky sack.

Hulda was behind the bar again when Sahla left her room. She smiled, and Sahla took a seat on one of the stools.

'I hope you're not looking for a drink,' the owner told Sahla. 'I'm not going to give someone as young as you any mead. You want some food?'

'How much is it?' Sahla asked hesitantly.

'On the house,' the woman shrugged.

Sahla frowned. 'What does that mean?'

'You don't have to pay for it, dear. I'm Hulda, by the way.'

'I'm Lorien. Thank you,' she added.

Hulda smiled and left to find some food. While she was gone, Sahla considered her new name. There was no going back from it now – it was possible that Sahla was the name on that execution list, even if it had been burnt to a crisp. She chewed on the skin around her thumbnail. Lorien. She didn't know who that was. No one did. She liked that idea.

'Here you go,' Hulda said, sliding a plate onto the bar in front of Sahla.

She looked down to find bread and cheese, this time neatly sliced. Carefully, she laid one of the slices of cheese onto some bread and bit into it.

'I'll bet that tastes good,' Hulda smiled. 'How long's it been since you had a proper meal?'

Sahla decided that last night's spontaneous dinner didn't count, and she hadn't had much food to eat since her father left. 'It's been a while,' she told Hulda.

The innkeeper shook her head sadly. 'It just breaks my heart to see someone as young as you in this situation. Couldn't you go to the orphanage? How old are you?'

'Sixteen years,' Sahla said around her mouthful of bread.

'The orphanage is in Riften. You could take the horse and cart there—'

'I'm not an orphan,' Sahla interrupted.

Hulda blinked, surprised. 'I'm so sorry,' she said. 'I just thought... well. Where are your parents?'

Sahla stared at her food. Her mother was dead, but there was her father. He'd left – recently. Sahla had woken up to find only a letter, telling her that he didn't want to leave, but it was for her own good, and he'd try to come back... Sahla closed her eyes. Even if he did return to the house now, his daughter would be gone. He'd never be able to find Sahla. She balled her hands into fists under the table.

'I need to go,' Sahla mumbled, picking up another piece of bread. 'Thank you for the food.'

She left the inn before Hulda could say anything more, and kept moving with no idea where she was going. She ducked behind houses until she found somewhere that seemed fairly secluded, and pulled the clothes out of her sack.

They were far too big, but she had her belt. In the end the tunic was long enough to cover most of her dirty trousers, so she left them on and stuffed her old shirt into the sack. Then she knelt and untied her coin purse to examine the contents.

Fifty coins, plus the three that she had from Alvor. Sahla pushed her hair out of her face as she stared at the money. If she was careful, she could keep that going for a little while.

 _Think. What else do you need?_ Food, but she could buy that with the money. People like Hulda might be sympathetic towards her. _Hide the money, then_. Sahla did so. She stuffed the purse deep into the sack, pulling out a bread roll in exchange and biting into it. _You definitely need a knapsack_. Hers had been taken by the Imperial guards when she was arrested. _Better clothes_. Those were easily bought, although most of them would likely be too big. Shoes. She could buy those too. _A better bow and arrows, so you can hunt for your own food_. She'd seen a blacksmith's near the entrance – maybe they'd have something. A bow would be expensive, though. She was running out of money fast.

What to buy first, then? These clothes would do for a while, and she could manage being barefoot. Once the food was gone, she wouldn't need a knapsack. Food she needed, but with a good bow she could get her own.

Sahla slid the bow off her back and examined it. Very simple. Bigger than she was used to. Maybe she could sell it for a little money towards a new one. That would be the first step.

Finishing her bread, Sahla stood and tried to remember how to get to the blacksmith's. All she could see were walls and barrels. Barrels? Frowning, Sahla set the sack down and opened one of the barrels quietly. More apples. Sahla reached deep inside and pulled one out.

No bruises.

Somehow, the apple made Sahla feel much better. Even if she ran out of money and food, even if the hunting was poor, she could count on apples.

She would be alright. She'd run errands and find money and food and maybe even shoes. She wouldn't give up. She'd leave the terrified Sahla behind, and her father, and she'd be someone new, in a new place.

Lorien let the lid of the barrel fall shut and bit into the apple, smiling a little as she did so.


	4. You Should Remember the End of this Chapter

There was no one at the blacksmith's when Lorien eventually found her way back there. Or no one outside, anyway. Lorien had a look at the forge itself. Even after watching her father use one occasionally, she'd never really understood the art of smithing.

That was all gone now, anyway. Lorien looked away from the forge, and her eyes landed on a table. More specifically, the small dagger on the table. It looked like the perfect size for her hand. She picked it up just to check, and found that she'd been right.

Hesitantly, Lorien looked over her shoulder. There was no one around. She looked back at the dagger. It didn't seem like it would be worth all that much anyway.

After another second of speculation, Lorien slid the dagger into her sack and knocked on the door of the blacksmith's.

A woman opened it, looking surprised. 'Hello,' she said when she saw Lorien.

'Do you sell weapons?' Lorien asked.

'That's about all we do,' the woman told her. 'Welcome to Warmaiden's. I'm Adrienne. What are you looking for?'

'A new bow. I want to sell this one.' Lorien pulled her bow from her back and showed it to Adrienne, who took hold of it.

'Hm. It's in good condition, but I can't give you much for it. Are you a hunter?'

'Hopefully I will be.'

Adrianne turned to face the man behind her. 'Ulf, do we have any hunting bows?'

He nodded and pulled a bow from under the counter. Lorien took a step forward to look at it. It was still large, but she preferred the shape. The wood looked sturdier, and the tips of the bow were metal. There was leather wrapped around its centre.

'How much is it?' Lorien asked, turning to look at Adrienne.

'Fifty Septims,' she replied, crossing her arms.

Lorien chewed on her fingernail. All of her money.

'I can sell it for thirty-five if you're giving me this bow,' Adrienne suggested.

It was a good deal. Besides, Lorien had gotten a free dagger – even if Adrianne didn't know about that. 'Alright,' she said after a moment, reaching into her sack.

Adrianne looked at the sack, frowning, then sighed. 'I'll give you a satchel too if you pay forty gold,' she offered.

Lorien hesitated, then dropped her coin purse onto the counter. 'There are fifty-three Septims in there,' she told the man behind the counter. 'I'll take the bow and the satchel.'

Ulfberth counted the money out slowly, then handed the purse back to Lorien. Much lighter than it had been before. Lorien breathed deeply as she took the satchel and dropped the purse into it. Adrienne handed her the bow, and Lorien hurried out of the shop.

 _Calm down_ , she told herself once she was outside. Y _ou needed that bow, or you wouldn't have stood a chance for long. The satchel was sensible – you would have had to buy one sooner or later anyway. And it was only five gold, really_. But she'd spent forty gold. Almost all of her money, gone within minutes. She'd have to make more. Whatever meat she could live without, she'd have to sell.

Speaking of meat... Lorien peered into her sack and pulled out her remaining food. Two apples and a little meat. She looked around her, then ducked behind the nearest house and sat leaning against the wall.

Her old shirt was still in the sack too. It was dirty and torn and had a hole in one armpit, but Lorien chose the cleanest sleeve and used her new dagger to cut it away from the rest of the shirt. She wrapped the leftover meat in the fabric and slid the package into her satchel. She'd have to eat it soon, but was determined to save it for the evening. The apples followed, then the trousers she'd taken from the Bannered Mare. She left the rest of her shirt behind the house after cutting the other sleeve off and pocketing it. The satchel fit well on her shoulder, and wasn't too heavy.

Now weapons. Lorien pulled her small quarrel of arrows from her back and counted them – twenty. More than she'd expected. The new bow really was lovely, too. And the dagger would no doubt come in handy.

Now... what? _Keep doing things_. Lorien retrieved the sleeve fabric from her pocket and began cutting it into strips with the dagger. They weren't neat, but they'd do. She used one to tie her hair back – finally, out of her face. Without anyone around to cut or braid it, it had become unruly recently.

The rest of the fabric strips went into her satchel. _There, now you look almost presentable_. Lorien wiggled her bare toes against the ground. Almost. You need a wash.

Well, there was a river nearby.

* * *

In the end, Lorien kept walking alongside the river until she came to a bridge. There were two bridges, in fact. Lorien chose the one over calmer waters and stowed her bag, bow and clothes alongside it.

She kept her dagger in her hand, just in case. There might be mudcrabs around.

When none appeared, Lorien pulled her hair down and waded into the water underneath the bridge. She was so paranoid that for a few seconds she didn't even notice the chiming sound coming from her right.

When she did, it didn't take long for her to trace the sound to an odd plant growing on the riverbank. Lorien peered at it curiously. If she wasn't mistaken, it was glowing as well as emanating the strange noise.

Deciding such plants were best left alone, Lorien began to wash herself as well as she could. Before long, however, the repetitive chiming of the plant began to annoy her. It was when she surfaced for the third time and it was still going that she lost patience. Sighing angrily, grabbed her dagger from the bank, then stuck it into the soil beneath the plant and levered it out of the ground. The faint glow promptly disappeared, and the chiming stopped.

Lorien felt strangely lonely.

She looked around. Either side of her, the river continued on its way. There was no one to be seen – certainly no one that knew her. A thought came to her. Perhaps, when her father had left, he'd been headed for Skyrim. Perhaps there was still a chance to find him again.

_I thought we agreed not to think about him anymore._

Alright. Lorien put the strange plant in her bag, then dunked her head under the water once more before tying it back as best she could and hopping out of the river. She really needed to practise braiding again, but without her mother around it had proven difficult. Braiding her own hair seemed impossible – it hurt her arms too much to hold them up for such a long time.

Tying it back would do for now. When it was dry, perhaps she could figure something else out.

Lorien dressed as soon as she was dry enough, this time in the new trousers. They were far too long, so she hacked the ends off with her dagger and tried again – much better. The shirt was fine too, when she belted it tightly. She liked the blue colour. The dagger fit neatly in the belt.

Lorien gave her feet one last rinse and hopped over the mud onto the grass, keeping them as clean as possible until they were dry. Then she carefully wrapped the bandages around them again, wincing when she saw they were already turning yellow – even brown in places.

They'd have to do. She slung her satchel over her shoulder and picked up her bow again. It felt good to have one with her. She missed her old bow. It had been taken away as soon as she was arrested, of course. It could be anywhere now. She would have recognised it in an instant – her name had been carved into it by her father.

Well. That wasn't her name anymore. Lorien knelt and scooped up the strange plant she'd uprooted, deciding to keep hold of it for a little while.

So where next? Perhaps now that she was looking a little more alive, someone would give her a job. Hulda seemed like the best person to ask, so Lorien began the walk back to Whiterun.

* * *

Eventually, a man will find that bow in an abandoned chest, somewhere amongst the ruins of Helgen. He will note the other goods in the chest (a few gems, coins, weapons – most of them stolen), but will only keep hold of the bow. He will run his fingers over the markings in its wood and read the word Sahla, and will be overcome with great emotion.

This was a girl who had been captured and killed, either by the Imperials or by the creature that had destroyed the village. He will read the name a few times, and keep the bow.

The bow is not what he had been looking for. He was looking for proof that the dragons are returning. He will not be disappointed.


	5. Nords Ask a Lot of Questions

For the next few weeks, Lorien ran errands for Hulda. Quite literally. She always seemed to be running somewhere, and was grateful for all the time she'd spent barefoot when she was younger. It had toughened the soles of her feet.

She fetched food from the market for Hulda almost every day. When couriers dropped letters off at the inn, Hulda would tell Lorien where they needed to be taken and send her on her way. She let her leave her bow, arrows and satchel behind the bar, and offered to look after the stolen dagger too, but Lorien kept that on her.

After a while of buying, delivering and cleaning if Saadia was too busy, people started to realise Lorien was Whiterun's resident errand-girl. They began paying her a little for small jobs – take these steel ingots to Adrianne, give this gold to Anoriath, deliver these letters to the Companions.

'The Companions?' Lorien asked when she was given that particular task.

Hulda smiled. 'Haven't you heard of them? They're that loud-mouthed bunch in Jorvasskr.'

'The warriors?'

'I suppose.'

Lorien took the letters eagerly. Any excuse to visit Jorvasskr was a welcome one. She'd been drawn to the mead hall since her first entry – although admittedly that had been by accident, and she'd left promptly. She took her bow and arrows with her this time, in an attempt to appear more than an errand-girl.

As she neared Jorvasskr, she heard voices from just beyond it and moved towards them. It was the youngest Companions, training outside, and laughing the whole time.

Lorien watched. They fought like she'd never seen before, and it didn't even look like much of an effort. There was a girl there too, with red hair and a bored look on her face as she parried one of the young men's attacks.

He laughed as he stumbled backwards, then caught sight of Lorien. The smile stayed on his face as they locked eyes, and Lorien felt the flurry in her stomach start up again.

He had dark hair and seemed too muscled for someone his age – which Lorien guessed was a year or so older than her. She looked away from him as she approached the Companions, holding the letters out in explanation for her presence.

An older man took them from her and sat down to flick through them. 'One for you, Farkas,' he said, holding it out to the dark-haired boy, whose name was apparently Farkas.

He waved it away and turned towards Lorien instead. 'I'm trying to win a bet,' he told her. 'Aela believes I can't find anyone else in this city who can hit the very centre of that target.' He pointed to one of the targets – the furthest from where he was standing. Lorien glanced at it, then at the girl she assumed was Aela. Her red hair was falling over her face, but she pushed it back to stick her tongue out at Farkas.

He rolled his eyes, then grinned at Lorien. 'Care to prove her wrong?'

Hesitantly, Lorien drew an arrow from the quarrel on her back. 'She gets one shot, Farkas,' Aela was saying. Lorien tried to ignore her as she aimed. The bow was still a little unfamiliar – she hadn't had that much time to practise with it. But this shot had to count.

When she released the bowstring, the arrow thudded into the target near the edge of the innermost circle. Lorien breathed deeply, allowing herself to smile a little.

Farkas immediately looked delighted, but Aela seemed unimpressed.

'I said the _centre_ of the target,' she told Farkas, examining a dirty fingernail. 'Not just in the central circle.'

'What more do you want?' Farkas asked, shaking his head. 'It's in the middle.'

Aela rolled her eyes as she stood, drawing her own bow. She shot an arrow into the same target. It landed near Lorien's – but almost exactly in the centre.

'Keep looking, Farkas,' she called over her shoulder as she left, walking into Jorvasskr.

Farkas turned and shrugged at Lorien. 'Well, I was impressed. Where'd you learn to shoot?'

'My father taught me,' she told him. 'Hunting in the woods near my home.'

'What's your name?'

'Lorien,' she said after a moment.

Farkas introduced himself, although Lorien already knew his name. 'How old are you?' he asked her.

'Sixteen years,' she told him.

'I'm eighteen,' Farkas said. 'Four minutes younger than my brother, as he loves to remind me.'

Lorien laughed, and Farkas laughed with her.

'Do you live in Whiterun?' he asked.

Lorien frowned. 'You ask a lot of questions.'

'I don't know anything about you.'

'No one does.'

'Why not?'

'No one wants to. They like giving me jobs well enough, but I might as well be another beggar. Look at me.' Lorien looked down at herself as she said it. Still barefoot, the bandages replaced now with fabric strips that were quickly becoming threadbare. Too-big clothes. Little money to speak of, which was obvious.

'What's looks got to do with it?' Farkas asked.

Lorien shrugged. 'That's what everyone sees first, so it's what they remember.'

'Well, I just saw you shoot pretty well. That's what I'll remember.'

'Pretty well?'

'Pretty well. There's always room for improvement.'

He sounded like her father. Lorien shrugged and walked towards the target to retrieve her arrow. When it was back in her quarrel, she made to leave.

'Wait!' Farkas called after her. She turned. 'Will you come visit again?'

'Next time I have a letter to deliver,' Lorien shrugged. It wasn't as if she'd be welcome in Jorvasskr for any other reason.

She hurried back to the Bannered Mare, only realising when she got there that she hadn't been paid for delivering the letters. It didn't matter much. She would only have been given a few coins, anyway.

She continued working for another few weeks. There was never a shortage of errands, and people liked having someone around to do the running for them. But one morning, Hulda pulled Lorien aside to talk to her.

'I'm sorry, dear,' she said. 'But you can't do cleaning or serving jobs here anymore.'

'Did I do something wrong?' Lorien asked.

'No, no. But it's Saadia's job, you see? She's worried I'm not paying her as much because I have to pay you too.'

'You don't have to. All I need is somewhere to sleep and food to eat.'

'But I can't even give you that forever, Lorien. The inn is busy this time of year, and I'm rushed off my feet as it is.'

Lorien looked at the floor. 'It's fine. I'll leave. There aren't many jobs here at the moment anyway.' Either that, or people were beginning to tire of being charitable towards her.

Hulda sighed. 'Will you be alright?'

Lorien nodded. She couldn't risk saying anything. Hulda smiled weakly and handed the girl her satchel, which now contained only an old pair of trousers and a small coin purse. Lorien took it, along with her bow and arrows.

'There's one more letter for you to deliver, if you like,' Hulda told her. 'To Jorvasskr.'

Lorien looked down at the letter. It was addressed to Farkas. 'Alright,' she said after a moment. 'Thank you for everything.'

She really was grateful, but it didn't stop her from slipping behind the counter as soon as Hulda was gone and looking for a farewell gift. There was a coin purse on the bar, but Hulda would likely see that was missing straight away. Lorien opened one of the cupboard drawers to find a white tusk. She wasn't sure whether or not it would be valuable, but it seemed like a good souvenir.

She stuffed it into her satchel.

When Lorien eventually got to Jorvasskr, Farkas was outside waiting for someone. He waved when he saw her, though.

'I have another letter for you,' Lorien told him. 'Is there someone you're writing to?'

Farkas took the letter but didn't open it. 'I'm just a popular man,' he grinned. He noticed her satchel and frowned. 'Are you going somewhere?'

'I've outstayed my welcome here,' Lorien shrugged.

'Here? In Whiterun?'

She nodded.

'You're leaving?'

She nodded again.

'Where will you go?' Farkas asked.

'I'm not sure yet. I suppose I'll have to wander until I find somewhere.'

Farkas frowned for a few seconds, then smiled. 'You came back here first, though.'

'I had a letter to deliver,' Lorien reminded him.

'Of course.' Farkas pulled some coins from his pocket and handed them to Lorien. She was tempted to refuse them, then realised she would need the money. 'And here I was thinking you'd come to say goodbye.'

Lorien laughed, looking away. 'I don't even know you.'

'Do you know anyone here?'

'Not that well.'

'That makes me your best friend.'

'Who says we're friends?'

'I do,' Farkas shrugged.

Lorien looked at him for a few seconds. 'Why? Why would you want to be?'

'Why wouldn't I?'

'You have the Companions – they're your best friends, aren't they?'

'The Companions are more like my family.'

Lorien kicked at a stone on the ground with her bare toes. 'That sounds nice.'

Farkas leant against the wall of Jorvasskr, frowning. 'Do you have...'

'Family?' Lorien finished for him. 'No. My mother died when I was young, and my father left. I don't really have anyone now.'

'You should join the Companions!' Farkas told her.

Lorien shook her head, her eyes widening. 'I'm not good enough. All I've done is hunting, and it was only near my house.'

'Why do you think we train?'

'No, I can't. I'm sorry. I would feel out of place there. Maybe one day.'

'Where else do you have to go?'

Lorien squeezed the strap of her satchel hard in her hand. 'You really do ask a lot of questions.'

'Well, you only answer about half of them, so I have to.'

'You don't. There's nothing interesting to know about me, honestly. I'm just... passing through.' She managed a smile before turning away.

'Wait – Lorien, wasn't it?' Farkas stopped her. 'If you're looking for somewhere to go, Rorikstead is nearby. It's a lot smaller than Whiterun. Maybe you could find some work there.'

'How do I get there?'

'Head out the gate and turn right. Keep following the road until you see a small village – that's Rorikstead.' He smiled. 'If you change your mind, come back and I'll train you up myself.'

'Oh, because you're so much my superior?' Lorien asked, smiling slightly.

Farkas looked surprised, then laughed. 'I have a feeling you're braver than you seem. You might just fit in here after all.'

'I'm not staying.'

'I know. Good luck.'

'Thank you – for telling me about Rorikstead, too.'

'You would have found your way there eventually,' Farkas shrugged. 'Or somewhere else. You made it here, didn't you?'

'And look at all the good it did me.'

'Well, you met me,' Farkas pointed out, grinning again. 'Maybe Rorikstead will even have some shoes in your size.'

Lorien laughed properly, the sound of it surprising her. It seemed to surprise Farkas too, but he just smiled.

'I need to go,' Lorien told him firmly.

'Sorry, sorry. Go.'

So she did.


	6. Well, He Had it Coming

Lorien was halfway to Rorikstead (although she didn't know that) when she spotted a figure coming towards her. She moved to one side of the road and averted her eyes, but soon noticed that the person was aiming for her.

'You there!' he called, and Lorien's head jerked upwards to look over at the man.

She couldn't help the surprise that appeared on her face – the man was a Khajiit. She'd heard of them, but never seen one herself.

And he was brandishing a knife. 'Give me any money you've got, or I gut you like a fish!'

Lorien's instincts told her to grab her own dagger, but she wasn't sure that she'd be fast enough. 'I don't have anything,' she said instead. 'Can't you tell?'

The Khajiit glanced at her bare feet, then back at her face. 'I'll take that bow, then.'

Lorien closed her eyes, sighing. The bow had cost more gold than she had on her now. Reluctantly, she pulled her coin purse from her satchel and handed it over.

The Khajiit weighed it in his hand, then pocketed it. 'Wise choice,' he told Lorien before leaving her.

Lorien wasn't so sure that it was. It wasn't as if she'd used the bow much – there weren't as many woods around Whiterun as she'd hoped.

She looked over her shoulder at the retreating thief. He was still well within range.

Slowly, silently, she notched an arrow to her bow and aimed. _Shoot_ , she told herself. _He's a thief, just shoot him_.

She kept trying to convince herself until he was too far away.

Sighing, Lorien lowered her bow and replaced the arrow in her quarrel. It wasn't as if she'd had much money, anyway. Maybe she could earn some more in Rorikstead. It was when she turned to continue walking that she spotted the rabbit just ahead of her.

This time, Lorien didn't hesitate to shoot.

* * *

When Lorien arrived in Rorikstead, she was carrying two rabbits. One had been shot neatly in the head, the other in the side. The village really was small. She asked the first man she saw there if there was an inn, who gave her a strange look but nodded and pointed behind her, to the nearest building. Lorien thanked him and climbed the wooden steps he'd indicated. A sign she passed informed her that the establishment was called Frostfruit Inn.

It was nowhere near as busy as the Bannered Mare, but there were a few visitors sat on the benches around the large taproom. Lorien eyed each one carefully before walking any further into the inn.

There was a man handing a drink to one of the visitors, so Lorien approached him. 'Do you work here?' she asked when he turned to her.

'I own the place. What can I do for you?'

'I have these two rabbits.' Lorien lifted them up. 'Do you... I mean, would you like to buy them? For the meat?'

The man stared at the rabbits. 'It just so happens that I'm all out of rabbit at the moment, so I could do with some more. How much?'

Lorien hesitated. She hadn't thought about that. 'Um... ten gold for one. Fifteen if you buy both.'

The innkeeper nodded slowly, then reached into the pocket of his apron for some coins. 'Better price than most of the hunters around here. Are you one of them?'

'Not really. I was just robbed. The rabbits seemed like a good chance to make some gold.'

'Well, you're not wrong there. Here.' He handed her the money and took the rabbits from here and left the room for a minute. When he came back, the rabbits were gone.

Lorien had taken a seat at the bar. She looked up when the innkeeper returned.

'My name is Mralki,' he told her.

'Lorien.'

Mralki smiled. 'I suppose you're looking for work, then?'

'Is it that obvious?' Lorien asked.

'Well, it looks like your shoes were stolen as well as your money. What kind of work are you looking for?'

'Anything. I was in Whiterun for a while, just running errands, delivering letters. I worked in an inn there too.'

'And now you're looking to work in this one.'

Lorien smiled. 'If you could do with any help.'

'Well, my son isn't quite as willing to help as he used to be,' Mralki admitted. 'But I have to tell you now, I wouldn't be able to pay you much. Running this inn isn't the most lucrative business.'

'If you can give me some food and somewhere to sleep, that would be enough.'

Mralki thought it over for a little while. 'Alright,' he said in the end. 'You can stay in one of the rooms as long as it's free. Put in some hard work, and we can give you food too. Maybe even pay you a little. How does that sound?'

Lorien nodded. 'That sounds good.'

'And here's always the bounties if you get bored,' Mralki shrugged, smiling.

'The bounties?'

He pointed at the thick wooden post to his left, into which were stuck several sheets of paper. Lorien read one quickly.

_By order of Jarl Balgruuf:_

_To all able-bodied men and women of Whiterun Hold. The bandits located in Redoran's Retreat have been harassing, robbing, and attacking citizens and visitors. A reward will be offered to anyone who kills their leader._

_\- Proventus Avenicci_

Lorien set the letter down. 'Maybe one day,' she said lamely.

'Ah, I was only joking. You should meet my son – he works here when he can be bothered.'

'I'd be happy to,' Lorien said, managing a smile.

Mralki left again, and this time he came back with a young man beside him. He had reddish hair and a grumpy look on his face.

'Erik, this is Lorien,' Mralki told his son.

Lorien gave Erik a small wave.

'You want to work here?' he asked her.

'Yes.'

Erik nodded. 'Well. Just be careful you don't get stuck here for the rest of your life.'

'Erik,' Mralki said warningly. 'We've talked about this—'

'No, you just told me what to do. As usual,' Erik replied. He sighed and looked at Lorien again. 'Sorry. It'll be good to have someone else helping out.'

'I'll do my best,' Lorien promised.

She kept that promise. At first, Mralki only asked her to clean and very occasionally take drinks to customers. Lorien did as she was told, and in return she slept in any bed that was free. If there weren't any, she slept on a bench. It was far better than the streets. Mralki kept feeding her too. She was always grateful.

After a week or so of working like this, the inn began to grow busier.

'It's nearly Saturalia,' Erik explained to Lorien when she asked him why. 'A lot of people pass through here on the way to visit Whiterun.'

As a result of the incoming customers, Mralki asked Lorien to start taking orders and serving drinks. She took the job as seriously as any other and smiled widely at every customer who entered the inn. It took some practice, but eventually she could remember drink orders almost perfectly. When she did forget, she made up for it by turning on the charm. Mralki even gave her a dress to wear so she looked a little more presentable.

Their combined efforts seemed to be working, because customers began leaving a few extra coins for Lorien. She tried to give them to Mralki at first, but he waved her away.

'You earned that by charming every customer who comes in here,' he told her.

Lorien shrugged. 'It's not difficult. My father always said that my mother charmed everyone she came across. I just pretend I'm her.'

'Well, however you do it, it's working. Keep the money.'

In the end, Lorien split the extra gold with Erik. He did most of the cooking, after all, but no one gave him any tips for it.

'I don't need gold,' he told Lorien when she handed him some of the money. 'I need to get out of here.'

Lorien looked at him hard. 'Believe me, you won't last long without any gold. I've been there. It runs out quickly.'

Erik took the money.

'Why can't you leave, anyway?'

'My father won't let me. He doesn't think I stand a chance, especially not without armour. And we don't have the money for armour right now.'

'Why not?'

'We have to order most of our food supplies from Whiterun. It's not that expensive, but the people who deliver it charge a lot. It's not the longest walk, but my father doesn't even want me doing that.'

'But I could go to Whiterun for supplies,' Lorien frowned. 'And I can hunt for meat.'

'Father needs you here. The customers like you.'

'Well, they haven't met you yet,' she smiled.

Erik made a noise that might have been a laugh.

'I mean it,' Lorien insisted. 'Let's talk to Mralki.'

After a little while, Erik agreed.

Mralki was reluctant to let Lorien go hunting. He seemed to think that Lorien dragging a deer into the inn would damage the charming persona she'd built up. Lorien insisted that it would save the inn money, and anyway she wouldn't be able to move a deer on her own.

The innkeeper seemed to be coming around to the idea, until Lorien mentioned that she could take Erik with her sometimes, maybe teach him to protect himself a little bit. This was too much for Mralki, and Lorien remained in her dress serving customers.

'I'm sorry,' she murmured to Erik on one of the rare occasions they were both working in the taproom. 'I really thought I could convince him.'

Erik shrugged. 'It's not your fault. I really do appreciate you trying.'

'Of course,' Lorien said, smiling sadly. 'I know how you feel. I lived in a tiny farmhouse for sixteen years. The woods nearby were as far as I could go.'

'I'm eighteen years old now,' Erik reminded her, shaking his head. 'You'd think I'd be able to make my own choices. But he just makes me feel guilty every time I ask, until I agree to stay again.'

'It is because he cares about you, you know.'

'I know. But it might end up doing more harm than good.'

Lorien watched Erik as he left for the kitchen again. He'd been kind to her since they'd gotten to know each other, but there was anger within him. Mralki's over-protective nature was only causing it to build up.

Mralki had allowed her to run to Whiterun for supplies, though. Lorien took this literally and tried to run as much of the way there as she could. Not to please Mralki, although she did want to do that, but to build up her stamina and strength.

She managed to ditch the dress for those trips. It became a welcome feeling.

For a few months Lorien managed to keep working in Frostfruit Inn. Eventually, Erik set up a sleeping arrangement for her in his room, so she wouldn't have to face a hard bench against her back any longer. Neither of them felt particularly fulfilled in their jobs, but they did enjoy each other's company.

It was finally Lorien's seventeenth birthday, and the inn was quiet. She was serving the few customers that were there with a smile, though – she'd made it to seventeen years old without starving or begging or stealing... too much. There was a large purse of gold in her satchel now that she'd managed to sell the strange plant she'd found in Whiterun and the pilfered mammoth tusk, and she had a steady job. Once she'd saved up a little more, she could leave Rorikstead, maybe even go back to Whiterun and the Companions...

Just as she was thinking this, the door to the inn opened and three of the Companions themselves walked in. Lorien almost dropped the tankard she was carrying. Her feigned confidence seemed to drain from her.

Farkas spotted her first, and looked surprised for a moment before waving.

Lorien noticed the tankard in her hand was shaking slightly. She put it down.

'So this is where you ended up!' Farkas was saying. Lorien forced herself to look at him and smile.

'Is there anything I can get for you?' she asked.

Farkas' grin faltered a little. 'Don't you remember me?'

'Of course I do,' Lorien told him. 'But I'm working. So is there anything I can get you?'

The Companions all ordered mead, and Lorien plastered on her most brilliant smile before serving them. In reality, she felt incredibly embarrassed. These were the people she'd wanted to impress most, and now she was serving them in a cheap dress and a tiny inn.

She hurried into the kitchen as soon as she could. Erik looked up as she entered, surprised. 'Is everything alright?'

Lorien nodded quickly.

'Someone has to be out there,' Erik reminded her.

'I know. I'll go back in a minute.' Lorien let her hair down, then retied it as neatly as she could. The dress was just about long enough to hide her bare feet if she was careful.

Erik frowned, watching her. 'Is there someone out there you know?'

'Not really,' Lorien shrugged, leaning against the wall. 'I'll go.'

'Here, take this to Lemkill.' Erik handed her a bowl of soup.

Lorien made a face as she took it. She didn't like Lemkill one bit. During her time working at Frostfruit Inn, she'd met one of his daughters, Sissel. Though she was very young, they got on well and Lorien would let Sissel spend as much time as she wanted in the inn. Time at the inn meant time away from her abusive father.

Lorien carried the soup out to Lemkill carefully even so, but the bowl was quite full and a little nearly spilled over the edge as she neared the table.

'Be careful!' Lemkill said, glaring at her. 'I paid for that.'

Lorien forced a small smile. 'I'm sorry.'

Lemkill scoffed. 'You're almost as useless as my daughters. If I was your pa, I'd have given you a good hiding by now.'

Lorien stopped short, the soup still in her hands. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw one of the Companions look over at her. 'What did you say?'

'You heard me, girl. Now give me my soup! If it's cold you'd better make me another,' he warned. 'Is it cold?'

'You tell me,' Lorien said, through teeth gritted into a smile.

'What are you going on about?'

Slowly, Lorien tipped the bowl and poured the contents over Lemkill's ugly, bald head. It was incredibly satisfying to watch, but she didn't get to see it for long. Lemkill yelled in rage and leapt from his seat, lunging for Lorien. She darted away, avoiding him for a few seconds until he grabbed her arm and punched her in the face.

Some unseen force pulled Lemkill backwards. He turned on the spot to see Erik holding him back.

'Leave her alone,' he said firmly.

Lorien looked around her, and saw Farkas and Aela had stood up too.

Farkas turned to her. 'Lorien. Let's go outside for a minute.'

* * *

'I'm not trying to tell you he didn't deserve it,' Farkas assured Lorien. 'But if we hadn't been there, who would have stopped him from beating you to death?'

'Erik. And Lemkill wouldn't have killed me,' Lorien replied sulkily, massaging her aching cheek. 'It was only soup.'

'It was his pride,' Farkas told her. 'That means a lot to a Nord, you know.'

Lorien looked at him sideways. 'And I can't have pride?'

'I just mean that you should have left it to us.'

'What would you have done?'

Farkas shrugged. 'Well. I wouldn't have wasted good soup on him.'

Lorien looked at Farkas for a moment, then gave him a reluctant smile.

'I have to say, I admire your spirit,' he continued.

'Really?' Lorien asked, raising an eyebrow. 'I don't feel as though I have much spirit left.'

'But you do have pride,' Farkas pointed out.

Before Lorien could reply, she spotted Mralki making his way towards her.

'What's going on?' he called. 'Are there no customers inside?'

Lorien glanced at Farkas, then back to Mralki. 'I—'

The door opened behind her, and Lemkill stormed out. Mralki took a step backwards as the other man, whose shirt was still damp, brandished a finger at him.

'Your waitress just tipped a bowl of soup on my head!' he informed the innkeeper – loudly.

Mralki looked over at Lorien. 'Is that true?'

Lorien shifted awkwardly. 'Couldn't we talk inside?'

' _Lorien_ ,' Mralki said, dangerously calm. 'Is it true?'

'Yes,' she admitted after a moment.

Farkas tried to pitch in. 'Lemkill was threatening her, sir. I'm sure she was just scared—'

'Pah!' Lemkill scoffed. 'Scared? You should have seen her, Mralki. She stands there, right in front of me, and slowly pours my _soup_ on my _head_!'

'Lemkill, calm down,' Mralki sighed. 'I assure you that Lorien will be punished for her actions.'

Lemkill glared for a few moments longer before turning and walking down the steps.

Mralki turned to Lorien. 'Would you still like to talk inside?'

She nodded.


	7. I'm Not a Thief

'What? You're leaving?'

Lorien shrugged. 'I don't have a choice, Erik. Mralki's asked me to go. He suggested the orphanage.'

Erik threw the cloth he was holding down. 'I know you made a mistake, but—'

'I poured soup onto the head of one of your few local customers. I think I deserve this.'

'You brought in _new_ customers,' he continued. 'We need you to keep working here.'

'You don't, Erik.' Lorien shook her head. 'It was very kind of Mralki to let me work here for this long, really.'

Erik sighed. 'I was hoping you'd stay. And then maybe with you around to help, I'd be able to leave here.'

'Oh.'

'That's what I thought at first anyway. Now... Well, I'll miss you.' He looked down.

'You don't have enough money to buy armour yet?'

Erik shook his head.

Lorien glanced over at the counter, where her satchel and coin purse were stored. Then she looked back at Erik.

'Thank you for stepping in, by the way. At least I'll only have one bruise.'

Erik shrugged. 'It's alright. I never liked Lemkill much.'

'Can I give you something? To say thank you?'

'If you mean money, no. You'll need it now that you're leaving.'

'You need it too, if you ever want to get out of here.'

Erik sighed. 'I do. But without you here, my father will need my help more than ever. Even if he did have the money for armour, he probably wouldn't give it to me.'

Lorien glanced at her satchel again.

* * *

When Lorien left Frostfruit Inn early the next morning, it was with only enough gold for passage to Riften. The rest, she'd left on Erik's bedside table. She wouldn't need money at the orphanage, after all.

The walk to Whiterun was a familiar one by now, but this time she didn't even enter the city when she arrived late at night. Instead she approached the horse and cart at the stables.

'I'm Lorien,' she told the driver, who was leaning on his cart. 'I need to get to Riften.'

He frowned at her. 'Bjorlam,' he said. 'And I'll need to see some money first.'

Lorien tossed her now-light coin up to him, and he caught it. 'Twenty Septims,' she said. 'Right?'

'Aye, that's right. Well, climb in the back then. You been to Riften before?'

'No.'

'You visiting someone?'

'No. I think I'm going to the orphanage. Just until I'm eighteen, and I can work properly.'

'Well. Keep an eye on your coin purse if you're wandering around. It's no secret that the Thieves Guild makes its home in Riften.'

'The Thieves Guild?'

The cart began to move as Bjorlam nodded. 'It's exactly what it sounds like. Band of thieves. Used to be known far and wide, but I haven't heard of any great heists recently. Have you?'

'No. But I haven't been here long,' Lorien admitted.

'You'll get used to it. There's a book somewhere in the back there that might be useful to someone like yourself.'

Lorien glanced around and spotted a book on the floor of the cart. She picked it up and turned it over to see the cover – _An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim_. 'I'm not sure that I could be classed as an explorer,' she told Bjorlam.

'Well, have a read of it anyway.'

It wasn't as if she had anything better to do. Lorien paged through it until she found a name she recognised – Helgen.

_Most travellers enter Skyrim by way of Helgen, "Gateway to the North." If you find yourself in this backwater hovel, consider taking an afternoon's ride to the north, keeping to the road as it winds down the cliffs at the eastern end of Lake Ilinalta. Just off the path, on a small bluff, lie the three Guardian Stones, the greatest concentration of standing stones in all Skyrim. The view of the lake here at sunset is simply sublime._

Lorien wondered what Helgen looked like now. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to go back there anytime soon.

She read on.

_Visitors from Cheydinhal will pass through Riften, city of intrigue and larceny since Tiber Septim's day. If you seek adventure in the Rift, leave the city by the southern gate and cast your gaze upon the bluff that rises to the south. Atop it sits the Shadow Stone, a fitting symbol for the city of thieves._

The city of thieves? That seemed to fit with what Bjorlam had said. Lorien was about to close the book when she saw the word Whiterun.

_Whiterun is the heart of Skyrim, its towering palace rivalling even the great castles of Cyrodiil. But should you tire of the Jarl's hospitality, another adventure awaits a few hours to the east of the city, along the road that rises above Gorge. The Ritual Stone can be found atop the lone hill that rises on the north side of the road, set into an ancient monument. Take time to soak in the incredible view of Whiterun, the tundra, and the gorge from this unique spot._

Lorien smiled – Whiterun was described as the heart of Skyrim. She liked that. She didn't think she'd seen the heart of anywhere before.

The cart hit a bump in the road and Lorien set the book down. 'Have you heard anything about the orphanage in Riften?'

'Not much. How come you're taking yourself there?'

'If there was someone else to take me, I wouldn't need to go to an orphanage.' Lorien leaned back in her seat. At least she didn't have a coin purse to keep an eye on. That was one less thing to worry about.

* * *

Lorien only woke up when the cart began to slow down. It was very early in the morning. _An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim_ lay open on her lap, although she didn't remember having read any more of it.

Bjorlam looked over his shoulder and laughed. 'Keep that book, if you like,' he said. 'Doesn't look like you had a chance to finish it.'

Lorien thanked him and entered the quiet city. She hadn't expected anyone to be around this early, but there were a few people setting up stalls in the market place. Lorien watched from afar. One woman was selling armour, one was selling meat. There was a jewellery stall, too. Lorien's eyes widened when she spotted the man running it. He was an Argonian, she realised – she'd never seen one before, except in pictures. But her mother had mentioned them once. Jali had seen all sorts of people.

Lorien watched the various people beginning to congregate in the marketplace, trying to assess who would be best to ask for directions. One of the women, perhaps? There was another stall Lorien hadn't spotted before, but it was stocked only with bottles of blood-red potion that she didn't like the look of. Then she saw who was running the store. A man with red hair that reminded her of Erik's, but who had succeeded in growing some on his face too. It wasn't any of that that Lorien was intrigued by. He just seemed completely at ease in the city of thieves. There was something about the way he held himself that showed his confidence.

It was something that Lorien wished she had.

She was still looking at him when he spotted her. Her eyes widened, but before she could avert them the man beckoned her over.

Without really meaning to, Lorien walked over to the stall.

'Are you eyeing up my wares, lass?' the man asked her. Close up, Lorien realised he wasn't as much older than her as she'd thought. A few years at the most.

She managed a laugh. 'That depends whether your wares are any good.'

He lifted a bottle from the stall and presented it to her with a flourish. 'This is the finest of elixirs! But I see that look in your eye.' Lorien looked up, surprised. 'You hope only to steal one.'

She nearly dropped the bottle. She wasn't a thief. She wasn't. But what she said was, 'And what if I did steal it?' The young man raised an eyebrow, and Lorien shrugged. 'You're no better, stealing money from the fools who buy these bottles. I suspect that you don't even know what their contents is.'

He laughed at that, then snatched the bottle back from Lorien and shook her hand. 'My name is Brynjolf, but you can call me Bryn. Welcome to Riften.'

'Thank you,' Lorien smiled. Then someone bumped into her from behind, and she nearly knocked over another of Bryn's bottles.

He grinned. 'Careful of people like that, especially when this place gets busy. It's the perfect opportunity for thieves to strike.'

'Is that so?' Lorien asked. Her eyes strayed to the people beginning to move towards the market place, lingering on their jewellery or coin purses tied to belts. Some people really liked to flaunt their wealth – it was partly their own fault if a little of that wealth went missing.

 _You won't need money in the orphanage_.

Still, some practice wouldn't go amiss.

 _Not worth the risk_.

Bryn was still looking at her. 'What are you thinking right now?'

Lorien blinked a couple of times, surprised. 'I'm... wondering where the orphanage is,' she told him.

'You're going to the orphanage?'

She nodded, looking down. 'No one will give me work – I'm too young. I'm all out of money. Nowhere else to go.'

'Are your parents...'

'My mother died. My father left.'

Bryn grimaced sympathetically. 'I'm sorry to hear that, lass. Are you going to tell me your name, by the way?'

'I'm not sure.' Lorien smiled slightly. 'I don't mind 'lass', you know.'

'How am I supposed to know you without even knowing your name?'

She frowned. 'What do you mean?'

Bryn shrugged. 'You're a thief. I'm a thief. We should get to know each other.'

He watched the girl's face close again, and she took a step back. 'I'm not a thief.'

He'd gone too far, too fast. 'Hold on, lass. I didn't mean—'

'You're the only thief here, and I doubt you even have any skill,' the girl interrupted. 'You just swindle people out of their money by selling them these mysterious potions that will do them no good whatsoever!'

Well, she wasn't wrong. Bryn made to respond anyway, but before he could the girl had turned and left.

He swore under his breath. The Thieves Guild needed new recruits more than ever, and this girl was a little younger than him – plenty of time to be trained up. He set his potions down with a sigh and crossed the marketplace to the Bee and Barb. A drink was in order.

Lorien watched him go, then glanced at the stall he'd left unattended. No one was paying his potions any mind, and... was that a satchel lying on the table beside them?

Slowly, Lorien circled the market. It had grown busy, and her presence went unnoticed. The first time she passed Bryn's stall, she held one of the bottles up to the light, as if to examine it. No one was watching her. It was easy to slip the potion into her satchel undetected.

The bottles were large – she would only be able to fit two, at the most. Well, that would at least show him how thieves were supposed to operate. On Lorien's second trip around the market, she simply took one of the bottles and put it straight into her satchel. It clinked, but no one looked at her.

Bryn's satchel looked mostly empty, so she left it where it was. Just as she was about to depart, however, she spotted a bulging coin purse tied loosely to the belt of a passer-by. Really? In the so-called city of thieves? It was just asking to be taken.

As she reached for the purse though, someone was reaching for her. A hand grabbed her arm and Lorien cried out as she was yanked backwards.

'Don't think I didn't see what you were about to do,' the guard said, shaking Lorien by the arm. 'Dirty thief. Hand over everything you've stolen!'

'I haven't taken anything!' Lorien insisted. 'I'm not a thief! I was just—'

'You were about to pickpocket that woman!' the guard yelled. People were beginning to look over at Lorien. 'And you tell me you're not a thief? Well, a few nights in a jail cell should teach you to tell the truth.'

Lorien struggled in vain. 'No, please, I wasn't—'

'Odlan?' a voice called out. 'What's going on?'

It was Bryn. Lorien twisted in the guard's grasp again – she couldn't be seen like this. She turned her face away from Bryn.

'Caught her about to pickpocket one of the citizens, Brynjolf. And she keeps insisting that's not true.'

'It wasn't in her pocket,' Lorien muttered.

Bryn seemed to be suppressing a laugh. 'Let her go, Odlan. I know this one.' Lorien looked up, surprised.

'Not likely! She's a thief!'

'So let her pay her bounty and be done with it.'

'Pay the bounty with someone else's money? I don't think so. She's no good, Brynjolf, believe me. You'd do best to leave her alone.'

Bryn sighed, reaching a hand into his pocket. 'I'll pay the bounty. Here. You have the money. Let her go – it's not worth it.'

Odlan gripped Lorien's arm harder for a second, and she breathed in sharply. Bryn noticed and made to say something, but before he could Odlan released Lorien.

'Thank you,' Bryn said.

'You keep an eye on her,' Odlan muttered.

'I will, don't worry.'

Lorien glared. 'You will not,' she hissed as soon as Odlan had left.

'Was that a thank you, lass? I couldn't quite hear.'

She rubbed her sore arm. 'Why did you do that?'

'You're a promising thief.' Bryn looked at her, then smiled. 'Larcenist. Pickpocket. Whatever you want to call it.'

'I got caught. That's not promising.'

'There are two bottles missing from my stall, and you didn't get caught stealing those.'

'That's because I didn't steal them.' Lorien glared. 'You told him you knew me.'

'Sorry. I know you don't want anything to do with me, but I didn't have much time to come up with a story.' Bryn shrugged, then made to turn away.

'Wait,' Lorien said. He did. She hesitated, then held out her hand to shake. 'You're a thief. I'm a thief. We should get to know each other.'

Bryn looked at her hand, then grinned. The sight of it made Lorien strangely happy too.

He shook her hand. 'How does breakfast sound?'

'Good, as long as you're paying.' She gave him a small smile. 'I'm Lorien, by the way.'


	8. Alright, Maybe I Am a Thief

'So what brings you to Riften?' Bryn asked as he sat opposite Lorien in the Bee and Barb.

She shifted in her seat. 'The orphanage. I told you that.'

'Right, but you're not... I mean, you don't seem like you're from around here.'

Lorien met his gaze, smiling a little. 'Because I'm a Redguard? You can just say that, you know.'

'Sorry. That's what I meant.'

'Well, my mother lived in Hammerfell,' Lorien told him, laying her hands on the table and looking down at them. 'She fled during the war between the Redguards and the Aldmeri Dominion, and travelled to Cyrodiil. She met my father there, I think. We lived in a small farmhouse near Bruma together until my mother died.'

'Is that when you came to Skyrim?' Bryn asked carefully.

'No – it was a long time ago. I lived with my father afterwards. He taught me everything I know. We only had each other, but that was alright. But one day, I woke up and my father was just... gone. There was a letter on the table. He told me that he didn't want to leave, but it was for my own safety. So I was alone in the house for a while. My father left me some food and money, but it wasn't enough to last long. I needed to work. There were no jobs in Bruma, but I was told that the Civil War in Skyrim had created hundreds of new jobs, and I knew I'd have to get over the border.'

'I'm assuming it wasn't as easy as that.'

'I managed to get across, but security was heightened and I was immediately captured by an Imperial ambush and taken to be executed. I suppose they assumed I was a spy. I just about managed to escape, then worked in Whiterun for a while, then Rorikstead. Then I got fired. So I came here, looking for the orphanage, and found... well, you.'

Bryn smiled at that. 'Why did you get fired?'

She couldn't help laughing a little at the memory. 'I poured soup on an ungrateful customer.'

Bryn looked disbelieving for a moment, then laughed. 'You can't have liked the job very much.'

'I liked parts of it. I made a new friend – the innkeeper's son. We worked together sometimes. That was nice. But the job was boring.'

'It's a good thing you ran into me, then. I know of a job that might interest you, and it can in no way be described as boring.'

'Let me guess,' Lorien said quietly. 'The job in question involves some law-breaking?'

'And minimal soup-serving,' Bryn pointed out. Lorien couldn't help smiling. 'Are you up for it? Remember, I am paying for your breakfast.'

'I _wonder_ where you got the money for that.'

Before Bryn could tell her, an Argonian man set two wooden plates down. Lorien blinked in surprise. In front of her was a pile of golden egg and three slices of bread, accompanied by cheese. 'This is for me?'

Bryn nodded, picking up his own knife and fork. 'Try not to think of it as a bribe,' he smirked.

Lorien wasn't even looking at him. She'd been given meals at Frostfruit Inn, but there was never much food or money to spare so they'd been small. She'd grown used to a perpetual feeling of slight hunger. This was... luxury.

She ate solidly for what felt like a long time, not speaking to or looking at Bryn. He glanced at her every so often but didn't interrupt.

Lorien felt full after eating two-thirds of the egg and one slice of bread, but she finished the egg anyway. Who knew when she'd have a meal like this again? It seemed wasteful to leave any of it. Instinctively, she reached for the bread to keep in her bag for later, but upon opening the satchel realised it still contained Bryn's potions.

Reluctantly, she placed them both on the table. Bryn raised an eyebrow when he saw them.

'What?' Lorien said defensively. 'Consider it payment for breakfast.'

'You're paying me with my own stock, lass.'

She frowned. 'Lass? I told you my name. No excuses.'

'You don't like it?' Bryn asked.

She did, but she didn't tell him that. 'It makes you seem older than me.'

'How old are you?'

Gods, Nords asked a lot of questions. 'Seventeen years.'

Bryn gestured to himself. 'And I'm twenty – that is older than you.'

'Not by that much. Just take your useless potions back. I'll pay you for the food the next time I have any gold on me.'

'You don't have to pay me,' Bryn assured her. 'Seems like you needed the meal.'

Lorien scratched the back of her neck, realising how greedy she must have seemed. 'Haven't eaten in a while,' she mumbled.

'It's alright, Lorien. You seem to think everything I say is a criticism.'

It was strange to hear him say her name. She just shrugged. 'Used to being criticised, I suppose. So you work for the Thieves Guild?'

If Bryn noticed her obvious attempt to change the subject, he didn't mention it. 'I do. I'm in charge of the new recruits, and training them up a bit.'

'That sounds hard,' Lorien frowned.

Bryn shrugged, looking pointedly at her. 'I get to meet interesting people.'

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'How would someone go about joining the Guild?'

'Well, they'd have to impress me first.'

'And how would someone do _that_?'

Bryn leaned back in his chair. He was enjoying this, Lorien realised. 'Tell you what, lass. You do one job for me, and we'll see about getting to know each other a little more.'

'What's the job?' Lorien frowned. One job? Surely that was too good to be true.

Bryn finished eating, placing his cutlery down carefully. 'Follow me.'

Surreptitiously, Lorien grabbed her remaining bread and stowed it in her bag. Bryn stood, pretending not to notice, and picked up a potion in each hand.

'What do those actually do?' Lorien asked.

'You'll hear the speech for yourself soon enough. Come on.'

Bryn led Lorien out of the Bee and Barb and back to the marketplace, where he replaced his bottles. Nothing else had been taken from his stall, Lorien noticed. It seemed that Bryn was... respected in Riften.

But he was a thief. It didn't make sense.

Lorien shook her head. 'What's the job?'

'You see that Argonian, selling jewellery?' Bryn asked, pointing discreetly. Lorien nodded. 'His name is Madesi. All you need to do is take the silver ring from the strongbox under his stall, while I cause a distraction. Then plant it in Brand-Shei's pocket.' Bryn indicated a nearby Dunmer. 'How does that sound?'

'Doable,' Lorien replied, more confidently than she felt. 'But why?'

'Someone wants to see Brand-Shei put out of business. Permanently.' Bryn's tone indicated that he wouldn't tell Lorien much more.

She nodded, and Bryn wished her luck. As she moved away from him and towards the Argonian's stall, Bryn began calling out to the market-goers.

'Everyone, everyone! Gather round! There is still time to get your hands on this amazing elixir!'

The elf that Bryn had identified as Brand-Shei sighed as he approached the stall. 'What is it this time, Brynjolf?'

'This is a rare opportunity, Brand-Shei,' Bryn told him. 'I wouldn't want you to miss out!'

Lorien watched as Madesi left his stall, and took the opportunity to sneak past him. She pulled one of the two lockpicks in her pocket out and began fiddling with the lock on his stall.

'That's what you said about the Wisp Essence,' Brand-Shei was saying. 'And it turned out to be crushed nirnroot mixed with water!'

Lorien smiled as she listened, the lock turning under her hands.

'That was a simple misunderstanding,' Bryn replied, selecting one of his numerous red bottles and holding it up. 'But _this_ is the real thing. Lads and lasses, I give you... Falmer Blood Elixir!' He glanced over at Madesi's stall as he displayed the bottle to his customers. Lorien's eyes were just visible over the top of the counter – she was raising an eyebrow at him. Bryn grinned, settling into his role.

Brand-Shei wasn't impressed, however. 'Oh, come on,' he said as Lorien slid the panel on Madesi's stall open and began working on the strongbox. 'Are you talking about the Snow Elves?'

'Mystical beings who live in legends, and were masters of great magic. Imagine the power that coursed through their veins!'

Lorien swore under her breath as her lockpick snapped. This lock was a little trickier. She found her only remaining pick in her pocket.

Madesi was speaking up. 'How did you get their blood, then?' he asked. 'No one's seen the Snow Elves in years.'

'My sources must remain a secret for their own protection,' Bryn responded, holding up his hands. 'But I can promise that the elixir is genuine. One sip, and your wishes will be granted. Great wealth, everlasting life and perhaps limitless power could be yours!'

Lorien almost laughed as she opened the strongbox and retrieved the ring. Now for the harder part. She began to sneak up behind Brand-Shei.

'How much does it cost?' he was asking. Lorien couldn't believe he was considering buying the 'elixir'.

'Only twenty gold Septims!' Bryn replied. 'Hurry, before my supply is gone!'

'Twenty coins?' Madesi echoed.

'Only twenty Septims a bottle!' Bryn was speaking over the crowd, which was beginning to disperse.

 _Now or never_. Lorien held her breath as she dropped the ring into Brand-Shei's pocket. He didn't notice. Quickly, Lorien emerged from her hiding place and stood up straight.

Bryn spotted her immediately and caught her eye. She nodded. 'Well, I can see that my time is up,' Bryn said loudly. 'Come back tomorrow if you wish to buy.'

The small crowd parted ways, most seeming disgruntled as they returned to their selling or shopping. But Bryn was grinning. Lorien couldn't help but smile back as she approached him.

'Looks like you _are_ a thief,' Bryn said. 'Here's your payment.'

Lorien opened the purse of coins he handed her, and nearly dropped it. 'How much is in here?'

'One hundred Septims.' It was more money than Lorien had ever held. 'And there's more where that came from, if you're still interested?'

The doubt in Bryn's voice made Lorien look up from the coins. It was the first time he'd shown any uncertainty.

Lorien considered her options for a minute. Maybe she could find another job somewhere – she was young, but she wouldn't be young forever. Or she could go to the orphanage, and find work after that. She could make a new life here one day, one where she wouldn't have to steal to stay alive.

She pocketed the money and looked up at Bryn. He was waiting for her response. There was a question in his eyes.

'I'm listening,' Lorien said.

Bryn visibly relaxed, smiling again, and Lorien immediately felt like she'd made the right decision. 'Come back here tomorrow, and we'll talk further. You have some money now – have another meal and get some sleep. And if you see anything worth getting your hands on...'

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'I get it. Where are you going?'

'You'll find out tomorrow, lass.'


	9. Lorien Finally Acquires Footwear

The next morning, Bryn was in the market earlier than usual. He mostly sat around, neglecting his fake elixirs. He was thinking about the Redguard girl. Lorien. Perhaps he should have let her sleep in the Guildhall – granted, it was full of thieves, but so was the rest of Riften. Sometimes this city was a bad place to be alone. Keerava and Talen-Jei were nice enough, but there were plenty of other people who could have visited the Bee and Barb. And what about the guards? If she'd tried to steal something else – which Bryn had _advised_ her to do – she'd be reluctant to pay them off. She didn't know how things worked here. Without Bryn there, she'd be—

Bryn shook his head, frustrated. Why was he so worried? If Lorien got caught stealing, the Guild would want nothing to do with her anyway. _He_ wouldn't want anything to do with her. She wasn't his problem.

Still, he kept an eye out for her.

She arrived earlier than he'd expected. As she neared the stall, Bryn noticed she looked far less tired than she had the previous day. 'How was your stay at the Bee and Barb?' he asked her.

Lorien stretched, then smiled. 'The Argonians were nice. I'd never seen one before coming to Skyrim.'

'Don't get on their bad side. How would you like a new place to sleep?'

'Will it cost me anything?'

'Not gold. Have you heard of the Ratway?'

Lorien wrinkled her nose. 'No. What is it?'

'An area under the city,' Bryn told her. 'Not the nicest place. Nevertheless, you'll have to pay it a visit.' He smiled mischievously. 'That's all I'm telling you.'

'What?' Lorien cried. 'You have to tell me more than that, Bryn!'

Bryn sighed. 'You'll need a weapon, and your wits. I don't necessarily want to send you in there, but it's a kind of initiation. Not that it's been used for a long time.'

Lorien's hand instinctively went to the small dagger on her waist. She took a deep breath. 'Alright.'

Bryn hesitated, then nodded. 'I'll meet you at the end of it.'

'I'll be there.'

Bryn hoped that she would be.

* * *

It took a bit of asking around, but eventually Lorien found the door to the Ratway. She couldn't help but pause before opening it. She'd noticed Bryn's reluctance to send her here, and although she wasn't sure why he'd care if she got in trouble, they'd both acknowledged the possibility. It scared her.

This was not what Lorien's parents would have wanted. She knew that. But her father had left – he couldn't complain. She was on her own now. She was seventeen years of age, nearly a woman, and there was no reason to cling to her parents' wishes anymore. Even if it was the only connection to them that she had left.

Lorien steeled herself before opening the door quietly. When it shut behind her, she was left in near darkness with an ominous dripping sound all around her. Instinctively, she drew her dagger and flattened herself against one of the damp walls.

Suddenly, voices joined the dripping noise. Two men, having a conversation. Lorien couldn't quite hear what they were saying. She edged forwards, ducking into a small alcove in the wall. Water trickled down her back, and she shivered.

_Focus. Just do what you must to survive._

'I'm going to check on the entrance,' one of the men said. Lorien's heart beat a little faster and she retreated further into the shadows. Footsteps neared her. Luckily, the man wasn't humming or whistling, so his companion probably wouldn't notice if he died here. Lorien just had to be quick.

She didn't have time to hesitate as the man drew near. He strode past Lorien, and she emerged from her hiding place, holding her breath. Her steps were nearly silent, thanks to years of hunting in the woods. Even if she had made a sound, though, the man wouldn't have had time to react. Lorien sprung up to her full height (which admittedly wasn't much), grabbed the back of the man's armour, yanked his head downwards and slit his throat.

He hadn't made a sound other than a slightly choked intake of breath.

Lorien looked down at his body, in shock at what she'd done.

It had been necessary.

_He might have been married, he might have had children he might have been hiding down here for a reason he might not have killed you, you don't know you can't know you'll never know because you slit his throat, killed him like an animal, it's not the same as hunting you're a murderer and you don't even know his name!_

Lorien knelt shakily and wiped her dagger on the man's armour. Then she replaced it in her belt and moved on.

As she neared the next man, she notched an arrow to her bow. He didn't hear her coming either. You have to be quick, Lorien reminded herself. _Don't think about it, or you won't be able to stop thinking about it._

She shot him in the back of the neck. Perfect shot – her father would have been proud. If she'd been shooting animals instead of people.

Lorien replaced the bow on her back and moved on. She didn't spot the next man before it was too late. He saw her, though, and immediately swung at her. Lorien jumped to the side and made to draw her dagger, but the man lunged for her again. She stumbled backwards, slipping on the wet stones, and fell to the floor.

The man threw himself at her, drawing his fist back again. He intended to beat her to death. Lorien struggled, moving any body part that she could, before driving her knee upwards between the man's legs. His raised fist fell as he groaned, and Lorien surged upwards, shoving the man off her with all her might. He fell hard, his arm landing in a bear trap.

The yell of pain he emitted echoed around the room. Lorien scrambled to her feet, fumbling for her dagger. The man tensed, he meant to move again – Lorien thrust the dagger down and stabbed him in the eye before he could.

A scream, abruptly cut off. It left a heavy silence in its wake. Lorien released the dagger and knelt by the body, clamping a hand over her mouth as she stared. _Three people dead and all your fault_ he would have killed me _you shouldn't have come here_ I need the money _you could have gone to the orphanage, that's what your father would have wanted_ my father's gone _your father's gone_ my father's gone _your father's gone_ my father's gone.

Lorien was crying, choking on tears, and couldn't stop. She never ever would have imagined that this was where she'd be at age seventeen. Her father would never have imagined it. Not his Sahla.

 _I'm not Sahla now_. Lorien wiped her eyes roughly, still shaking. She pulled her dagger out of the man's eye and replaced it in her belt. _I have to be Lorien. I have to survive – that's all._

She stood and drew her bow instead, readying an arrow. When she reached the next room, with only one person in it, she didn't hesitate before shooting. _Just be grateful that you trained. You'll survive._

Ahead of her were a few steps, and a door at the bottom. Lorien opened it to find a large room, in the centre of which was a shallow pool of water. She followed the path around the water tiredly, already hearing parts of a conversation.

'Give it up, Brynjolf,' a man was saying. 'Those days are over.'

'I'm telling you – this one's different.' That was Bryn's voice.

Another man sighed. 'We've all heard that one before. Quit kidding yourself.'

As Lorien rounded the corner, the first man spoke again. 'It's time to face the truth, old friend. You, Vex, Mercer – you're a dying breed.'

Bryn looked away, dismissive, and caught sight of Lorien. He grinned, standing up. 'Dying breed?' he repeated. 'Well, what do you call that then?'

The two men that Bryn had been talking with turned to look at Lorien. She was suddenly conscious of her appearance – dirty, probably covered in blood, her hands still shaking. She pressed them against her legs.

Bryn crossed his arms as Lorien approached him. 'Colour me impressed, lass,' he said. 'I wasn't certain I'd ever see you again.'

Lorien managed a smile. 'Nice of you to send me in there, then.'

One of the men laughed, and Bryn looked back at him. 'I told you this one was different.'

'Yeah – she's a child,' the second man scoffed.

Bryn shook his head. 'Lorien, this is Dirge.' He indicated the heavyset man who had just spoken. 'And this is Vekel.' The man behind the bar nodded in greeting. Lorien waved lamely.

Bryn stood up. 'Come on – I'll show you around. You look tired.'

Lorien smiled weakly. 'Yeah. The Ratway.'

'I'm sorry about that, lass.' Bryn grimaced as they walked towards a door. He opened it to reveal another huge room, with two intersecting bridges in the centre over a shallow pool of water. Small beds and chests surrounded the edge of the pool. 'I had a couple of other jobs for you to do, but... I think you've done enough.'

Lorien nodded distractedly.

'You alright, Lorien?'

'Everyone else calls you Brynjolf,' she murmured.

Bryn paused, then shrugged. 'They're older than me. It's nice to have someone around who's closer to my age.'

Lorien folded her arms over her stomach. 'This is all below Riften?'

Bryn smiled. 'Welcome to the Thieves Guild.' He caught sight of a woman walking towards him and waved her over. 'Tonilia – this is Lorien. A new recruit.'

Tonilia stopped and looked Lorien up and down. 'Welcome to the cosy little family,' she said, smiling a little. A Redguard. It felt strangely comforting to Lorien to see someone like herself here. 'Haven't seen someone as young as you here since Rune joined. I hope you stick around. We need new blood.'

Lorien nodded and tried to smile. 'Thank you.'

'Your parents,' Tonilia said, tilting her head slightly. 'They know about you joining the Guild?'

Bryn shook his head almost imperceptibly. Tonilia didn't seem to notice.

'No,' Lorien told her. 'They don't even know it exists.'

'Yeah, well. We're not as well-known as we used to be.'

'I mean... they're not in Skyrim.'

'Oh. You're on your own?'

Lorien nodded.

'The Guild will look after you, if you prove worth the trouble.' Tonilia shrugged. 'I'll find you some clothes that actually fit. And... some shoes.'

Bryn smiled. 'Thanks, Tonilia.' He turned back to Lorien. 'As for sleeping here, you pretty much pick a bed and fall into it.'

Lorien nodded slowly. 'You told me you're in charge of recruiting here,' she reminded Bryn. 'But you're the youngest.'

'I'm not the youngest here anymore.'

'I don't count.'

Bryn shrugged. 'Why not? Like you said, I decide on the new recruits.'

'You also told me that they have to impress you,' Lorien pointed out.

'Why do you think you're here, lass?'

She made to reply, but before she could Tonilia returned with the clothes and a pair of boots. Bryn took them from her.

'Is there anywhere I can change?' Lorien asked him.

He nodded. 'There's a room that's meant for the Guildmaster's second, but Mercer doesn't really have one of those. You can use it for a few minutes.'

'Mercer?'

'He's the one you should be trying to impress. The leader of the Guild. You'll meet him soon enough.'

'What's he like?' Lorien asked as they reached the second's room.

Bryn thought about this for a moment. 'He can be difficult. But he's the one who's kept the Guild going through these difficult times, so we all respect him.' Lorien wanted to ask more questions, but Bryn handed her the clothes before she could. 'Get changed. I'll wait for you.'

Reluctantly, Lorien did as Bryn said. The clothes turned out to be leather armour which fit almost perfectly. Finally wearing boots was a welcome change to being barefoot all the time, too.

Lorien pointed her toes happily and walked around the small room a couple of times. Then she bundled up her old clothes and moved towards the door.

When she reached it, however, she stopped. Were those voices?

'You can't keep acting like you're in charge around here, Brynjolf.' A woman. 'You're the youngest of us.'

'And yet I've been here longer than most of you,' Bryn replied.

'Bullshit. And that doesn't mean anything. Tonilia told me you finally found a new recruit – is it that girl you were at the inn with yesterday?'

'In the morning?' Bryn asked. Lorien frowned. Was he visiting the inn with other girls for the rest of the day? 'Yeah, that was her. What about it?'

'We're low enough on work and gold as it is,' the woman said warningly. 'And you were off treating yourselves to breakfast!'

Bryn sighed. 'She'd barely been fed for weeks, Sapphire. And she's a good thief! So what if I bought her breakfast?'

'You can't possibly know how promising she is as a thief yet.'

'I gave her a test. And she made it through the Ratway.'

A pause. 'Brynjolf, are you saying she's already been allowed into the Guild?'

'Yes.'

'She's a child!'

'She's only a few years younger than me!'

' _Exactly_ ,' Sapphire said.

Lorien heard Bryn sigh, then footsteps, but no more talking. She jumped when he knocked on the door.

'Are you still in there, lass?'

She opened it, still clutching her old clothes.

Bryn took them from her. 'Let's get a look at you.' Lorien stepped out of the room and stood in front of him. He looked her up and down approvingly. 'You look almost human now!'

Lorien smiled weakly, and Bryn's face fell.

'You heard all that, then.' It wasn't a question.

'Some of it,' Lorien admitted.

Bryn sighed. 'Sapphire's... hot-headed. She's been through a lot. It'll take a while for her to trust you – for anyone here to trust you. You have to be willing to make an effort.'

'I am. But they'll just dismiss me as a child. Or an imposter. Or one of your many girls from the inn.'

At that, Bryn actually laughed. 'What're you talking about, lass? I didn't take any other girls to the inn. Are you really jealous already?' Lorien glared and took her old clothes back. Bryn was still smiling. 'Look, if you earn Mercer's respect, the rest will follow. Do a couple of good jobs around here and you'll be golden. And as you've probably realised, gold is in high demand around here.'

Lorien stowed her clothes in a nearby chest, grabbing a book that was inside it. She opened it, trying to ignore Bryn.

'That'll come in handy,' he said anyway, pointing at the book. Lorien checked the cover again. _Shadowmarks_. 'Delvin Mallory himself wrote it.'

Lorien sat down on the nearest bed, leaning against the headboard. Bryn sat at the other end without waiting for an invitation.

'What're shadowmarks?' Lorien asked him.

'They'll be your best friends out in the field. Each one means something different.' He leaned over, reading the book upside down, and pointed at the symbol on the page. A diamond with a circle in the centre. 'That one just means us – the Guild.' He sounded proud as he said it. 'You see that on someone's house, then they're one of us. It's a safe place.'

'This one means safe, though.' Lorien indicated the shadowmark on the next page.

'Right, but that one's more like... somewhere you won't get killed. Somewhere without traps. You want to follow those.'

Lorien nodded. 'And this one's the opposite?'

' _Danger_ ,' Bryn read out. 'Exactly. Usually they're on one side of a door. On the other side is something... well, dangerous.'

They read through the rest of the book together, Lorien running her fingers over each shadowmark – escape route, protected, fence, loot, empty – and she found that she was disappointed when the short book came to an end.

Bryn leaned back again. 'Delvin will be pleased his book came in handy again.'

'You know him?' Lorien asked.

'Of course,' Bryn laughed. 'He's one of us. You want to meet him?'

* * *

'So this is the new girl I've been hearing about?' Delvin asked when Bryn tracked him down to the Ragged Flagon.

Lorien smiled. 'That's me, I think.'

'It is,' Bryn told Delvin. 'And I think she's got real promise.'

'Well, you found her, Bryn, so I'm sure she does,' Delvin smiled. That was the first time Lorien had heard someone else call Bryn that.

'Do you think you could help train her up a bit?'

'Of course. But you know the best way to train—'

'—Is by taking extra jobs,' Bryn finished. 'Believe me, I know. But not until Lorien feels comfortable.'

Lorien smiled gratefully. 'What are the extra jobs like?'

'Don't you worry about that now,' Delvin told her. 'Have you spoken to Mercer?'

'Not yet,' Lorien admitted.

Delvin looked at Bryn. 'He'll want to know if there's a new recruit, Brynjolf.'

'I know,' Bryn said quickly. 'I just didn't want to disturb him.'

'Go and speak to Mercer. I can't start training or handing out jobs without his say-so – you know that.'

'Alright.' Bryn turned to Lorien. 'I suppose you get to meet Mercer now.'

Lorien felt nervous and wasn't sure why. 'Alright. Any advice for impressing him?'

Delvin laughed. 'Eager to please, this one, isn't she?' he said. 'Look, if Mercer likes you – well, tolerates you – then you'll be alright. But there's not much you can do to change his opinion either way.'

'Delvin,' Bryn said warningly. 'Mercer isn't that bad. Come with me, Lorien – he should be back by now.'

Lorien glanced between the two men, then followed Bryn back into the Guildhall. He was quiet.

'Why didn't you tell Mercer about me sooner?' Lorien asked.

Bryn looked over his shoulder and smiled. 'Wanted you all to myself.'

Lorien glared at him. 'Don't joke. I mean it.'

'I don't know, lass. He wasn't really around. And this is my job.'

'Handling the amateurs.'

'There – you did it again,' Bryn said. 'Stop acting like I'm insulting you. You're not as good a thief as me because you only just got here. Be patient.'

Lorien chewed on her thumbnail as the two of them entered the Guildhall again. Bryn's eyes immediately flicked to a table in the corner, and Lorien followed his gaze to see a man with dark, jaw-length hair leaning over it. He was quite a bit older than Bryn, and dressed in similar dark armour. Mercer – it had to be.

Sure enough, they approached him and he looked up, frowning. 'What's this, Brynjolf?'

Bryn shifted slightly, then smiled. 'A new recruit for us.'

'Or another waste of Guild resources,' Mercer sighed. He stood up and looked hard at Lorien. 'You know how to play by the rules?' he asked her.

Lorien nodded quickly.

'Because if you break the rules, you lose your share of the money. That's what you're here for, right? Money?' It didn't seem like Mercer wanted an answer. 'No debates, no discussions. You do what we say, when we say. Understand?'

'Yes,' Lorien said.

'Good. It seems you've impressed Brynjolf, but not me. Not yet. So it's time to put your expertise to the test.'

Bryn frowned. 'Mercer – you're not talking about Goldenglow, are you? Even Vex couldn't get in. Lorien's only just joined—'

'And she needs to prove her worth,' Mercer interrupted. 'You recruited her – you must believe that she has an aptitude for our line of work.'

'Yes, but—'

Mercer turned to Lorien. 'Goldenglow Estate is critically important to one of our largest clients. However, the owner has suddenly decided to take matters into his own hands and shut us out. He needs to be taught a lesson.'

Lorien swallowed. 'Do you mean killed?'

'Brynjolf will provide you with the details,' Mercer said, seemingly bored with the conversation.

Bryn was disgruntled at being ignored, but he spoke up again. 'Mercer. Aren't you forgetting something?'

Mercer frowned for a moment. 'Oh, yes. Since Brynjolf seems to think you'll be nothing but a benefit to us, you're in. Welcome to the Thieves Guild.'

'Thank you,' Lorien said, glancing at Bryn.

Mercer nodded curtly and returned to the papers he'd been studying before. Lorien and Bryn took this as their signal to leave, and walked over one of the bridges away from Mercer.

Bryn grabbed Lorien's arm to stop her. 'Here – sit down.'

Lorien did so, and Bryn sat by her side. Their legs dangled over the edge of the bridge.

'I didn't expect Mercer to send you to Goldenglow,' Bryn admitted after a few seconds. 'Sorry about that.'

'Is it that bad?' Lorien asked.

Bryn shrugged. 'It's dangerous. A lot of mercenaries guarding the place.'

'What is _the place_?'

'A bee farm – they keep them for honey. It's owned by an elf. Aringoth, I think.'

Lorien nodded. 'And... what do I need to do?'

'Teach him a lesson,' Bryn sighed. 'Burn down three of the beehives and clear out the safe in the house. That's what Mercer was planning, anyway. But it didn't work out last time.'

'So he's sending _me_? That... doesn't seem like a good idea.'

'Be more confident, lass. Oh, and you can't burn the whole place to the ground. That... important client that Mercer mentioned would be furious if you did. Three beehives – that's it.'

Lorien swung her legs, frowning. 'The mercenaries. I'll have to... get past them.'

There was a short silence. Then, 'It's either that or killing them, lass.'

'I guessed that.'

'Try to think of it as you or them.'

'Mm-hmm.'

'Are you going to be alright?'

'I'm sure I can get in there,' Lorien reasoned. 'But the mercenaries. It'll be difficult, me against them.'

Bryn thought for a few seconds, then nudged Lorien's foot with his. 'So I'll come with you.'

Lorien looked at him sideways. 'Will Mercer be happy with that? He wants me to... prove myself.'

'Yes. But Goldenglow would be a big ask, even for me.' He grinned and Lorien elbowed him.

'I don't know,' she said after a moment. 'I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. Or anything.'

'Get in trouble?' Bryn repeated. 'Lass, you're not in the orphanage. We operate individually. As long as we get the job done and don't kill anyone we don't have to, Mercer should be happy.'

'Alright. As long as you're sure.'

'I'm sure. Do you have enough arrows?'

Lorien glanced at the chest she'd stuffed her things in. 'I haven't counted them in a while.'

'Well, count them. Get ready. We'll go to Goldenglow in a week,' Bryn told her.

She nodded. 'What about... Aringoth? What happens to him?'

'We should probably try to keep him alive, but if he stops us from getting the job done...'

'Right,' Lorien said weakly.

'Hey. You don't have to do it. I can.'

She looked at Bryn sideways. 'I'm perfectly capable of doing it.'

Bryn shrugged. 'I don't know. I haven't seen you shoot.'

'I got through the Ratway this morning!'

'Ah, anyone could've been down there. They could have been old, or sick, or—'

'That's... not helpful.' Lorien sighed.

Bryn looked at her for a moment. 'My point is, I don't know how capable you are of defending yourself.'

Lorien stood up and pulled her bow from her back, then notched an arrow to it. She'd spotted the targets earlier, knew roughly where they were – yes, there. She aimed carefully.

'You're too far away, lass—'

She fired. The arrow shot across the Guildhall and landed in the target opposite.

Bryn looked between Lorien and the target a couple of times, then smiled. 'Alright. You've proven your point.'

She sat down again. 'Well. That's a target. It doesn't fight back.'

'Oh, I know – we should talk to Vex. She tried to get into Goldenglow once before.'

Lorien shrugged. 'Alright.'

As she and Bryn left the Guildhall for the Ragged Flagon again, Lorien glanced back at the target. If only Aela had seen that.


	10. An Odd Mix of Self-Conscious and Overly Confident

'Before we begin,' Vex said, examining her nails, 'I want to make two things perfectly clear.'

Lorien resisted the urge to glance over at Bryn, who was sat at a nearby table with Delvin.

Vex continued. 'One: I'm the best infiltrator this rathole of a Guild's got. So if you think you're here to replace me, you're dead wrong.' She folded her arms and leaned back on the crates behind her. 'Two: you follow my lead and do exactly as I say. No questions, no excuses.'

'Right,' Lorien said cautiously.

'Then we understand each other. That's good, because I don't want to waste time talking to you about anything but business.'

'What sort of business?'

Vex sighed. 'I'm not going to sugar-coat it for you, kid. We're in a bad way down here.'

'I'm not a kid,' Lorien said. Very quietly.

'Delvin thinks it's because of some kind of curse,' Vex continued. 'I think he's crazy. It's just plain old bad luck.'

'Well... what can I do?'

'You can get out there and start making a name for us again. They should fear us – like they did a long time ago.'

Lorien nodded. 'That's what I came to talk to you about. Mercer's given me a job.'

'Mercer? He's giving you jobs already?'

'Only one. He wants me to get into Goldenglow.'

Vex blinked a couple of times. Then her face hardened. 'Goldenglow was my job.'

'I heard you ran into trouble there.'

'Yeah, well – it was that elf's fault. That fetcher more than tripled the guard, like the coward he is.'

Lorien made an effort to calm her rising nerves. 'How do I get in there, then?'

'Easy. You won't. We're not trained to get past mercenaries like that.'

'Mercer and Bryn seem to think I'll be able to do it.'

Vex scoffed. 'Look, you might as well face the truth from the start. They're sending you because you're the most dispensable.'

'What?'

'I'm not being rude. But everyone else has been here for years. They're incredibly skilled. Why else would Mercer send the first girl who walks in off to Goldenglow?'

Lorien curled her hands into fists, digging her fingernails into her palms. 'Just tell me how to get in,' she said calmly.

After a moment, Vex shrugged. 'There's an old sewer tunnel that dumps into the lake. Somewhere on the northwest side of the island. It should still be unguarded, if you can get to it.'

'Thank you for your advice,' Lorien said, allowing the slightest hint of bitterness to enter her voice. If Vex noticed, she didn't react.

Lorien turned and left, and Bryn looked up as she passed him. He excused himself to Delvin and followed her hurriedly.

'Is everything alright, lass?' he asked when he caught up.

Lorien pushed the door to the Guildhall open and held it for Bryn. 'Everything's fine. Is there anything I can do to... train? Before we go to Goldenglow?'

Bryn searched her face for a second, then nodded. 'Yes. But we'll start tomorrow. Go get some rest.'

* * *

The next day, Lorien practised picking locks with Bryn. He gave her three lockpicks, and she managed to open the first chest without breaking any of them.

Inside were three more lockpicks.

Bryn smiled as if he'd been waiting for that. 'Come on, lass,' he said when Lorien glared at him. 'You might need them for the next few chests.'

They did prove more difficult, and Lorien ended up breaking two lockpicks on the next chest.

'Don't get frustrated,' Bryn advised when the second pick snapped in Lorien's hands. 'It'll just make you more impatient. That's how picks break.'

Lorien rolled her eyes, but forced herself to act slowly. The next pick worked. There was nothing inside this chest.

'I promise I'll give you a reward later,' Bryn told her.

Lorien smiled a little. 'Are you saying you'll steal me something nice?'

'Exactly! Now keep practising.'

She did. She practised until she broke her only remaining pick, on the last chest.

Bryn shrugged. 'These ones always take a couple tries. Let me have a go.'

Lorien moved away from the chest and watched as Bryn worked. He went completely quiet. Lorien suddenly became aware of how much they'd been speaking.

It was strange to think she'd only know Bryn for a couple of days. Her father would have said that she was trusting too quickly, but she couldn't help it – there was something about Bryn. That confidence he had—

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the familiar sound of a lockpick breaking. Bryn dropped the pieces on the floor, smiling briefly at Lorien, and continued working.

Lorien watched for a few seconds before her mind began wandering again. She needed friends here. She wouldn't be able to make it for very long in Skyrim without anyone on her side. Farkas wasn't a possibility – he was a Companion, and it seemed unlikely that he'd approve of a band of thieves. Erik had been more difficult to get to know, but once he'd warmed up to Lorien a little he'd been so quietly kind to her. It was shame that she'd probably never be able to set foot in Frostfruit Inn again. It had been nice to have people to rely on, and somewhere to stay every night. Ever since Lorien's father had left, she'd—

'Got it,' Bryn breathed. He looked over at Lorien and caught her staring blankly at the floor. Her hands were clenched tightly together.

In the next half a second, she looked up. Her face was clear. She smiled, and Bryn felt as though he might have imagined it all.

'So?' she asked. 'What's inside?'

Bryn pushed open the lid of the chest and peered inside. 'A purse.'

Lorien reached in and grabbed it. 'Mine,' she grinned.

'Check what's inside it first,' Bryn told her.

She did, then groaned. 'More lockpicks.'

Bryn grinned. 'Ten. Keep hold of them. They'll come in handy when we get to Goldenglow.'

* * *

The next day, Lorien practised shooting with the targets. The day after that, Bryn told her she needed to practise pickpocketing.

'I don't see how that will help,' she told him when he first suggested it.

'It won't help you in Goldenglow,' Bryn admitted. 'But if you want to stick around here, you'll have to take extra jobs. Some of them might involve a little... fishing.'

'Fishing?' Lorien echoed, laughing. 'Fine. But how am I going to practise?'

'Simple. I have a purse on my belt, and another one in my pocket. They're going to stay there until we go to Goldenglow. You have to try and get hold of one – or both – at some point. Sound doable?'

Lorien sighed. 'Just about. What do I do until then?'

'Train.' Bryn shrugged. 'Do whatever you feel you need to work on.'

'Is 'everything' an option?'

'No. Have more confidence in yourself, lass. You're dedicated to this – I can tell.'

Lorien couldn't help but relent. 'Alright. I accept your challenge. And I'll train.'

'That's the spirit,' Bryn smiled. 'You're going to fit in just fine here. Do you believe me yet?'

'Hmm... You might have to compliment me a little more first.'

Bryn laughed. 'You're persistent and determined, you have natural thieving ability and you don't let anything get you down for long.'

'Wow. Anything else?' Lorien joked.

'You're... pretty?' Bryn said uncertainly.

Lorien laughed. 'Alright, now I know you don't mean it. Get out of here so I can try to pickpocket you.'

Bryn laughed again and left. When Lorien was sure he'd gone, she smiled to herself. No one had ever called her pretty before. Even as a joke.

* * *

Lorien spent most of the day practising archery. A dark elf called Niruin even helped her for a while, which was nice. Bryn was always around, but never alone. Lorien made sure she went to grab some food at the same time as him, and tried to start a normal conversation.

'How's the training going?' he asked her.

'Great,' Lorien responded. 'Niruin's been helping me practise archery.'

'Hopefully you won't need that too much, but I have a feeling it'll come in handy. Have you used any of those lockpicks yet?'

'I'm worried that I'll break them,' Lorien admitted. 'I'd rather have them with me tomorrow.'

'They'll be no good tomorrow if you don't know how to use them.' Bryn tore a small loaf of bread in half and gave one piece of it to Lorien.

She took it and thanked him. 'I know you're right. Just... bring some spares, in case I break all of mine.'

Bryn laughed. 'What did I tell you about confidence, lass?'

He was about to leave – Lorien had to act fast. As Bryn turned away, she reached for the string holding Bryn's coin purse to his belt and pinched it between her finger and thumb—

'Gotcha,' Bryn said quietly, turning and grabbing hold of her arm. 'I should've known you only wanted to talk to me for the contents of my purse.'

Lorien groaned in frustration. 'You caught me this time. But that was only my first attempt.'

'Oh, I know,' Bryn smiled. 'You haven't come near me all day.'

'You wouldn't know if I had.'

Bryn tilted his head slightly. 'You confuse me, Lorien.'

'I do?'

'You're this odd mix of self-conscious and overly confident. It's... confusing.'

Lorien wasn't sure what to say, so she said nothing as Bryn finally released her arm and walked away.

* * *

The next opportunity Lorien got to steal Bryn's purse was the following day, when she overheard Mercer ask him to take a look at some papers on his desk. Bryn said he'd be there in a few minutes.

Before he could move, Lorien hurried over to the desk and crouched beside it, out of view of Bryn as he approached. He leaned over the table, oblivious.

As he frowned down at the papers, Lorien loosened the strings of his purse ever-so-slowly. When they finally came untied, she let go, then caught the purse in one hand as it fell. She pressed the other hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing.

Eventually, Bryn sighed and left the table. Lorien peered over the top of it to make sure he was gone, then stood and ran back to the archery targets before he could notice that anything was amiss.

The rest of the day was not as successful. Lorien couldn't see any possible way for her to get something out of Bryn's pocket without him realising. He seemed to have noticed that his purse was missing, anyway, because he kept sliding his hand into his left pocket as if to check there was still something in there.

Lorien noticed this out of the corner of her eye while practising her stance with Niruin. It was in his left pocket, then. That narrowed it down a little, at least.

It still seemed impossible. Lorien didn't even get many opportunities to try – Bryn seemed to be avoiding her.

'This isn't a good test,' she told him on the one occasion she managed to catch him on his own.

He didn't look up from what he was doing. 'What do you mean?'

'If I was really pickpocketing someone, they wouldn't know it was going to be me. They wouldn't be _intentionally avoiding_ me.'

'Everyone in Riften is constantly looking out for pickpockets,' Bryn pointed out. 'How else am I supposed to test you, anyway?'

Lorien shrugged. 'Get me to take something from someone who isn't expecting it?'

Bryn stood up from his seat and looked at her properly. 'Alright. You can do that easy option if you fail this test.'

'It's not a fair test!'

'Then stop playing fair.'

Lorien watched Bryn leave for the second time that day. He had a point. She'd stolen his purse by hiding behind a table and acting when he was distracted. That couldn't have been what he expected, but it had worked.

Fine. He wanted her to stop playing fair? That was what she would do.

* * *

The next day, Bryn's strange mood seemed to have alleviated. Lorien soon found out why – one of the members of the Guild had returned from a dangerous job.

Lorien watched as Bryn greeted him, smiling, and the other man laughed and pulled him into a hug. It was only much later on when Bryn called Lorien over to meet his friend.

'Lorien, this is Rune,' he told her.

Rune grinned at her. 'Welcome to the Guild, Lorien. It's good to have another youngster around.'

'I'm not sure everyone else feels the same way,' Lorien smiled.

'They've put up with me and Bryn for this long. Don't worry – as soon as you show everyone what a great thief you are, they'll love you.' He elbowed Bryn. 'Seems like some of them already do.'

Bryn pushed Rune's arm away. 'She's a good thief, and we're going to prove it. Right, lass?'

Lorien nodded quickly. 'Right.'

When she was grabbing food later, she bumped into Rune again. 'Hello again, Lorien,' he said. He was still smiling.

She returned the smile. 'So, what was the dangerous mission you went on?' she asked him.

'Just this special job in Whiterun – getting a man out of jail. You know, a normal day's work.' Lorien nodded slowly, and Rune laughed. 'I'm joking. We don't do that kind of thing very often.'

'Oh,' Lorien said, embarrassed. She changed the subject. 'Do you really think everyone here will... accept me, eventually?'

'Lorien, all of them started as a new recruit. All of them had to prove their worth. You can't be friends with absolutely everyone, but the ones you do make here? They'll be your friends for life.' Rune smiled at her, no longer serious. 'And I like you already. So does Bryn.' Lorien couldn't help smiling, and Rune gave her a knowing look. 'I mean it. He hadn't found a new recruit for a long time before you, and he was blaming himself. Now you come along, and... Well. He keeps talking about how _promising_ you are.'

'Really?'

'That, and other things,' Rune said conspiratorially. 'I can't say any more.' Lorien opened her mouth to object, but Rune raised a hand. 'I can't! See you around, Lori.'

Lorien ate a piece of bread angrily, then returned to lock-picking practice with Bryn. She wasn't allowed to try and pickpocket him while they were training – he'd decided it would distract her.

Lorien was grateful for that, to be honest. It was nice to just spend some time with Bryn, without planning how to get hold of the purse in his pocket.

'You've got your picks?' he asked when Lorien joined him.

She nodded. 'Still ten of them.'

'Good, because we're tackling this one again.' Bryn indicated the largest chest – the one that had defeated Lorien last time.

'Bryn,' she said uncertainly. 'I need these picks for Goldenglow.'

'So don't break them,' he grinned. 'Come on. I'll help you if you need it.'

Lorien sighed and knelt down in front of the chest, working on the lock. She tried to do what Bryn did – to become completely focused on the lock, to ignore everything else... but she was very conscious of Bryn watching her work on the lock. He was sat right next to her—

The first lockpick broke.

Lorien closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Stay calm.

She opened her eyes and tried again. The lock turned slightly under her hands and her face brightened – but it wasn't right. Her second pick broke too.

Bryn smiled anyway. 'You were close there. Let me help.'

He covered Lorien's hands with his as she manoeuvred her third pick into the lock. _This isn't helping at all_ , she thought to herself.

'Try it a little to the left,' Bryn said quietly.

Lorien blinked twice, focusing, and shifted the pick to the left a little. Together they turned the lock again, but encountered resistance even earlier than last time.

Bryn turned the lock back towards its original position. He'd reacted faster than Lorien.

She moved the pick down slightly, then a little further. 'Alright. Let's try again.'

Bryn let go of her hands, and Lorien felt their absence. She ignored it and turned the lock again. It opened.

Lorien let out a breathless laugh and turned to Bryn. He was grinning at her already.

'I knew you could do it,' he told her.

Lorien opened the chest to find a sweetroll sat on a piece of paper. She grabbed the cake and lifted it out. She and Bryn shared the cake, leaning against the large chest.

'I've never had one of these before,' she admitted after a minute or so of happy chewing.

Bryn looked over at her. 'Never?'

'Never. My mother was a good cook, but she didn't make things like this.'

Bryn paused. 'Do you... want to talk about your family?'

Lorien leant her head against the top of the chest. 'I don't know. I'm trying to leave them behind.'

'Why?'

'There's no point in holding onto my mother – she's gone for good. So is my father, I think.'

'But he might still be alive,' Bryn pointed out.

'That's true. But he left me alone in the house. He didn't even say goodbye.' Lorien looked down at the piece of sweetroll she was holding. 'What did I do wrong?'

There was a short silence. Then Bryn poked Lorien in the shoulder. 'It wasn't your fault.'

'I knew you'd say that,' Lorien said, laughing weakly. 'I'll probably never know. He might be dead - I have no way of finding out.'

'Was it just you and your father most of the time?'

'Almost all of the time – that I remember, anyway.'

'What was he like?'

Lorien thought about it. 'He wanted the very best for me, and he wanted me to _be_ the very best. He trained me whenever he could, which I liked. He was all I had.' She looked over at Bryn. 'What about your family?'

'The Guild,' Bryn said simply. 'I've been here for five years now. They're all I've got.'

Lorien smiled. 'That's... really nice. You found your own family.'

'Something like that.'

* * *

It wasn't until the afternoon before Goldenglow that Lorien finally got another chance to pickpocket Bryn. She was incredibly frustrated at this point. It seemed like she'd tried everything to get the last purse out of Bryn's pocket, and nothing had worked.

Bryn seemed pleased about this, however. He'd stopped avoiding her, at least. Lorien sat on his left for lunch.

'I have to congratulate you on getting the first purse,' he admitted. 'I'm still not sure how you did it.'

Lorien forgot that she was annoyed for a moment and tapped her nose mysteriously. 'I wish I could tell you, Bryn, but some things have to remain secret.'

He rolled his eyes. 'That makes me wonder what else you're keeping from me.'

'Right. Because we've known each other for so long.'

'Do you really think that matters?'

Lorien thought about it. 'No.' She slid her hands into her pockets and realised there was still a lockpick in one of them. She frowned and pulled it out. 'I was talking to Rune again earlier,' she told Bryn. 'It's really interesting, you know, about his name. Where it comes from.'

'It's a good name,' Bryn admitted. 'If you could change yours, what do you think you'd change it to?'

Lorien didn't say anything for a few seconds. Of course Bryn didn't know she'd already changed her name once. Admittedly, she hadn't put much thought into it then.

'I always liked Almalexia,' Lorien admitted. 'And Katariah. They were my favourite book characters when I was younger.' She waved a hand dismissively. 'They're very grand names, though. Not really right for me.'

Bryn smiled. 'You don't know what the future holds! You could end up married to an emperor.'

Lorien laughed out loud. 'Very funny, Bryn. How am I supposed to meet the future emperor?'

'Save Skyrim?' Bryn shrugged.

'I'll add that to the list.'

'Sounds good,' he grinned. 'When you're Empress Lorien the First, promise you'll think of these humble beginnings sometimes?'

Lorien rolled her eyes, still smiling. 'I promise. I'll be lying across my four-poster bed in my private chamber, married to some old man who's hopelessly rich. He'll be complaining about his dodgy leg, and I'll be wondering what would have been if I'd stayed with the band of thieves I used to know.'

'And that extremely handsome one you met first – what was his name?'

'Bryn,' Lorien said without thinking, then laughed quickly. 'Well. Brynjolf. If I remember correctly, after all these years.'

'You'll smile, and your old husband will ask what you're thinking about,' Bryn said, smiling slightly himself.

Lorien looked at Bryn. 'And I'll tell him, you, darling.'

'He'll know you're lying.'

'I beg to differ – I'm a brilliant liar.'

'He'll know you're lying,' Bryn repeated, 'but he'll love you too much to say anything.'

'What about me?' Lorien asked. 'Do I love him?'

Bryn shook his head. 'No, you married him for the money and status.' Lorien's mouth dropped open, indignant, but Bryn laughed and kept talking. 'You'll be... You'll be hopelessly in love with someone you met long ago.'

'Why didn't I marry them?'

'They weren't worthy of you, when you became so wealthy and loved by all.'

Discreetly, Lorien turned the lockpick over in her hands and slipped it into Bryn's pocket when he wasn't looking. 'There's no use being the Emperor's wife,' she pointed out. 'I'll have to get his title somehow.'

'Oh, of course you'll be plotting to kill him,' Bryn told her.

'Right, of course. And then I can marry who I want.' The end of the lockpick caught on the purse strings. Slowly. Slowly.

'You'll both be rich for the rest of your days.'

The purse fell to the floor, and Lorien smiled. 'Sounds like the ultimate heist to me. I'll try my best to marry a future emperor.'

'And I'll try not to judge you on how vain and materialistic you become,' Bryn joked.

'Materialistic?' Lorien repeated. 'Coming from a thief?' She swung her legs over the bench and stood up.

'Are you ready for Goldenglow tomorrow?' Bryn asked before she left. 'I'll still let you come, even if you did fail the pickpocketing test.'

Lorien raised an eyebrow at him, saying nothing. As she left, she scooped the second purse from the floor.

Bryn frowned, then patted his pocket. Then he checked inside. Then he stood up and stared after Lorien, who had reached the middle of the bridge.

As if she knew he was watching, she turned around and raised a hand into the air. In her hand was one of the lockpicks Bryn had given her, and dangling from the end of it was the purse from Bryn's pocket.

He stared after her, too surprised to follow or even make a joke. Lorien laughed anyway, and almost tripped over.


	11. The Perfect Mission for a Newcomer

'One problem is that Goldenglow's on an island,' Bryn told Lorien. They were sat on the Riften docks with Rune. It was the evening, and peaceful.

Lorien was untying her boots. 'There has to be a way onto it, though. How does Aringoth get there?'

'There are bridges down that way.' Bryn pointed to his left. 'But we can't walk in the front gate, lass.'

'Not unless you want to be welcomed by a bunch of mercenaries,' Rune interjected.

Lorien pulled her boots off and swung her legs over the edge of the jetty she was sat on, dipping her toes in the water. 'I don't particularly want that. What about the sewer Vex mentioned?'

Bryn leant against a post, looking out over the water. 'That's on the other side of the island. No easy way to get there undetected. There's a small boat, but the mercenaries will be on the lookout at all times.'

'Even in the night?'

'Some of them, yes.'

Rune thought it over. 'Swimming might not be the best idea. You don't want to be dripping all over the floor when you make it inside – too noisy.'

'No wonder Vex found it difficult to get in,' Lorien sighed. 'It already seems impossible.'

'I've been thinking about it all week, and I'm inclined to agree with you,' Bryn said, smiling even so. 'But we have to try. It'll be a challenge.'

Lorien frowned, then looked up again. 'What if we didn't have to break in?'

'Do you mean a key, lass?' Bryn asked.

Rune raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. 'I suppose the mercenaries would have a key. If you could take just one of them out, it could save some time—'

'No,' Lorien interrupted. 'Aringoth is wealthy, right? Maybe he has things delivered to his estate. Maybe they're delivered by boat – from these very docks?'

'I like the idea, lass, but it's too risky. If Aringoth has scheduled deliveries, he'll probably have let his mercenaries know.'

Rune sat up a little straighter. 'What if one of you distracted the mercenaries, while the other snuck into the sewers?'

'No,' Lorien and Bryn said at the same time.

Rune held his hands up. 'Just an idea. The mercenaries are your main problem, after all.'

'It's good, but too dangerous,' Lorien told him, smiling sadly. 'Vex said the guard had been tripled. They'd catch Bryn eventually.'

'Who says Bryn would be doing the distracting? He could be the one sneaking in,' Rune shrugged.

' _No_ ,' Bryn said again.

'Hear me out. Lorien's pretty small – she could give the mercenaries the slip while you get into the house. You've probably got a better chance inside anyway.'

Lorien looked down at the water for a moment, then at Bryn. She raised her eyebrows.

He shook his head at her. 'We'll stand the best chance if both of us get inside.'

'You just said that might be impossible,' Lorien murmured.

'Lorien,' Bryn said warningly.

'Think about it, Bryn! If I take out a couple of them with my bow, they'll be on high alert. Everyone will be looking for me. You'll easily be able to get into the sewers. I'll... follow you if I can. If not, I'll jump into the lake. Either way, they'll assume I got scared and ran away.'

Bryn was shaking his head, but Rune elbowed him. 'Come on – you know it could work.'

'Lorien shouldn't have to be the bait for a gang of mercenaries on her first job.' Bryn leant his head on the post. 'Mercer shouldn't have given her this as her first job.'

'There's no point getting angry with Mercer,' Rune told him. 'His word is law, you know that. _You_ shouldn't even be going to Goldenglow. Don't get me wrong, I'd do the same thing – all I'm saying is you're already pushing the rules enough.'

Lorien drummed her fingers on her knees. 'Awful lot of rules for a band of thieves.'

Bryn laughed a little at that. 'Alright. _For now_ , we'll go with that plan. But if you think of anything else before tomorrow...'

Rune nodded. 'We'll let you know, Bryn. Don't worry.'

Lorien smiled to herself, thinking. For someone so outwardly confident, Bryn did seem to worry quite a bit sometimes.

* * *

Lorien woke up early the next morning. She'd continued using the bed she'd chosen at random when she'd first arrived in the Guildhall, and no one else had tried to claim it yet.

Bryn and Rune were still asleep in the nearest beds. Lorien wasn't surprised. They'd stayed outside later than she had, just talking. Lorien had wanted to stay and ask about Rune's latest job, but he'd promised her they'd only be talking about plans for Goldenglow. Lorien had been tired of that – tired, in general – so she'd gone to bed.

Now she was the first awake. She dressed quickly while no one else was around to see. Privacy didn't seem to be much of a priority in the Guild, and it still felt strange to Lorien.

When she had her armour on, she counted her arrows and her lockpicks. She made sure her dagger was in her belt.

It took a disappointingly short amount of time for her to get ready. Maybe she should have tried to sleep for longer.

Sighing, Lorien sat down on her bed again. Her hair fell into her face, and she found herself pushing it back frustratedly. It hadn't been this long since she was much younger, but without her father around to cut it—

Well. The least Lorien could do was cut her own hair. She searched the Guildhall quietly until she found a pair of scissors, then sat cross-legged in the centre of the bridge.

The scissors made a pleasing sound in the quiet Guildhall. Lorien worked quickly and carefully, not wanting anyone to wake up before she was done. She cut her hair to her shoulders – or tried her best to, at least, feeling the back of it with her hands to try and guess how it would look.

When she was finished, she swept the hair into a sack and threw it into the waste barrel. Then she returned to her bed and opened one of the drawers in the table next to it. She grabbed a strip of fabric from there and held it between her teeth as she pulled her hair back from her face. When she believed most of it to be secure, she retrieved the fabric strip and used it to tie her hair in place. A few curls would undoubtedly escape soon enough, especially now that is was shorter, but it would do for now.

There. Now she was ready. She sighed happily and turned to check if anyone else was awake. They weren't, so she practised shooting.

When Bryn woke, it was from a dream that he couldn't quite catch hold of. All he remembered was a repetitive thudding sound.

It continued even when he was fully awake, and he glanced around. Lorien was shooting again, entirely focused on aiming and firing. She didn't hesitate before whipping an arrow from her quarrel and notching it to her bow. She only ever paused to aim.

Bryn sat up, and Lorien saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. She lost her focus, and the arrow she'd been firing hit the board behind the target. It was the first so far.

Sighing, Lorien replaced her bow on her back and made her way over to the target to retrieve her arrows. She was careful, knowing she couldn't afford to break any that day.

After a few minutes, Bryn joined her. 'How are you feeling?' he asked.

'I'm nervous,' Lorien shrugged. 'How are you?'

'I'm great,' Bryn smiled.

'You must have a lot of confidence in yourself.'

'I have confidence in you,' Bryn smirked. 'You're going to be the hero of the hour, I can tell.'

Lorien grimaced. 'Don't. All I'm going to do is run away. You're the one who'll be sneaking and stealing and... picking locks. All that training I did, and you're having all the fun.'

'I'm hoping you'll be able to follow me into the sewers, lass. I'll wait there for a little while just in case. Alright?'

'Alright,' Lorien nodded. 'I'll do my best to be there.'

By the time Bryn reached the northwest bank of the island, he wasn't feeling quite as confident. There was a mercenary dangerously close to him, but after a few seconds the shouting began. The mercenary turned and ran towards the other side of the island – where Lorien was. Everything was going to plan, then. Bryn hurried onto the shore and quickly found the sewer's hatch. He heaved it open and lowered himself into it, then pulled the cover back over the hole. He left it just slightly out of place, hoping this would help Lorien get into the sewer faster.

He waited around the corner for a while, as he'd promised to. He could still hear muffled shouting from above, and he held his breath every time it got too close. When it died down and still no one had opened the sewer hatch, Bryn knew he needed to move on. Lorien could catch up if she needed to. She'd probably jumped into the lake instead.

He headed left, encountering a few skeevers as he walked. They were easily dispatched. The floor was slick and at times Bryn nearly fell over, but eventually he found the ladder he needed and clambered back outside.

It was a relief to breathe fresh air again. The door was right in front of Bryn when he emerged, and there was no one around. Bryn was relieved – this lock could take him a long time.

As soon as he managed to get the door open, he heard voices.

'What in Oblivion was going on out there?' a man was asking – loudly. 'I could hear all the yelling from upstairs!'

'Someone trespassing, boss,' another voice replied. 'Looks like another thief to me.'

'You caught them?' That had to be Aringoth, then.

'Yes.'

Bryn closed his eyes, leaning against the wall for a second. He knew this had been an awful plan, but he hadn't done anything about it. And now—

'Is that her?' Aringoth asked.

Bryn opened his eyes again. Lorien was still alive?

'It is.'

Someone stumbled, by the sound of it. 'Get your hands off me!' a familiar voice yelled – Lorien. 'I can walk on my own.'

'And you can run away all on your own, too,' Aringoth pointed out.

Lorien looked up at him, trying frantically to think her way out of the situation. This had not been the plan at all.

'Tell me what you were doing on my property,' he continued. 'And maybe I'll be nice.' Lorien said nothing. Aringoth looked over at his mercenary, who pushed Lorien to the ground. She cried out as she landed hard on her knees. Her hair fell into her face – part of it had escaped the tie.

Aringoth crouched to look at her. 'Did you come here alone?'

'Yes,' Lorien said through her teeth.

'But did you come of your own _volition_?'

'Yes.'

Aringoth rolled his eyes again and raised a hand, then clicked.

Suddenly a dagger was at Lorien's neck. Her breath caught in her throat and she lifted her chin as high as she could. All Bryn heard was a sharp intake of breath.

'Are you ready to tell me the truth yet?' Aringoth asked after a moment.

After a moment, Lorien nodded, moving as little as possible.

'Then tell me who sent you.'

On the other side of the wall, Bryn froze. He couldn't see what was happening, but it sounded as though Lorien was about to give him away. He had to do something.

'You're not talking,' Aringoth said.

Lorien breathed in shakily. 'It was a man,' she whispered.

Aringoth stared at her. She suddenly had all his attention. 'Who?'

'A thief.'

'I guessed that much. _Tell me who_.'

'I don't know his name,' Lorien choked. She could hardly see through the tears in her eyes. 'He said he'd pay me if I found a way into your house.'

'And you agreed?'

'I need the money.'

'Describe this man. Tell me everything you can.'

Lorien went quiet, and Aringoth sighed.

He stood up and turned to his mercenary. 'Take away her weapons. Clearly she needs a little more time here to remember things properly.'

A few seconds later, Lorien's bow and arrows skidded across the floor and through the doorway. They came to a stop beside Bryn. Her dagger followed soon after. Bryn looked at them, then at the doorway.

' _No_!' Lorien yelled as the Mercenary yanked her upwards from the floor. 'No, no, I'll tell you! Please! I don't know very much—'

'I don't care,' Aringoth said in a bored voice. 'Tell me everything you do know. And spare me the lies. I want this mysterious man's name.'

 _Do what you must to survive_ , Lorien told herself. _Think of it as you or them_. 'His name is—'

The mercenary slumped to the ground, an arrow in his neck.

Aringoth only had time to glance over at the body before he too was shot. Lorien scrambled out of the way as he fell towards her. She looked up a moment later to see Bryn in the doorway, with her bow in his hand.

After a second, he nodded at her. 'You cut your hair.'

Lorien laughed breathlessly and ran forwards to hug Bryn before she could stop herself.

He hugged her back, then handed her bow to her. 'You might still need this,' he said quietly.

Lorien took it, along with her quarrel. She turned the mercenary's body over and found his dagger, which had looked a lot better than her own. Instead of putting it in her belt, she stuck it into her boot. Hopefully she'd stand a chance of keeping hold of it that way. Bryn searched Aringoth's pockets and found a key.

'Thank you,' Lorien said to him when they were both ready to move again. 'I'm not sure what I would've done if you hadn't shown up.'

'Probably betrayed the entire Guild,' Bryn shrugged.

Lorien shook her head, indignant. 'I was just trying to think of a convincing lie! I would never have given them your name. Or anyone's name,' she added.

'It's alright, lass. I was only joking. I suppose it's a good thing that I didn't wait any longer in those sewers.'

Lorien grimaced. 'Sorry I didn't make it that far.'

'It's not your fault,' Bryn assured her. 'This plan was always dangerous. Speaking of which, have you thought of how we're going to get off this island?'

'Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. _Not_ literally. I'm not going anywhere near the front gate again.'

'Swimming it is, then.' Bryn smiled mischievously.

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'Which way is it?'

They moved quietly through the next room, which contained a dining table and two large mounted deer heads. Lorien felt like she was being watched, but Bryn didn't seem bothered. He led her quickly out of the room and they turned right to find a barred metal gate.

Bryn held a finger to his lips, then pointed to his right. There was another mercenary, heading in the opposite direction.

Lorien readied her bow without thinking too hard. It was about time she started using it more.

The mercenary was dead within seconds, and Bryn was already working on unlocking the gate. It didn't take long.

There were steep wooden stairs behind the gate, and Lorien and Bryn hurried down them. Another door led them into the basement. It was far bigger than Lorien had expected. She walked quickly until Bryn held up a hand. He pointed ahead – yet another mercenary was sat in a chair up ahead. Lorien shot; he died. They kept moving.

The safe was nearby, and Bryn opened it with the key he'd found as Lorien grabbed a purse of coins from the nearby table.

She turned to Bryn. 'What's inside?' she whispered.

He too was holding a coin purse, but in his other hand was a letter with a broken wax seal. 'We'll have a look at this later.'

'Read it now,' Lorien said after a moment. 'We might end up swimming back, right?'

'Good point.' Bryn unfolded the letter and read it out. ' _Aringoth - this document acknowledges the sale of Goldenglow Estate and all property, assets and materials contained within. Payment of the property has been made in full by Gajul-Lei as an agent on behalf of the buyer. All dealings with the Thieves Guild in Riften are to cease immediately. To deter any possible retribution for this act, you are to take immediate steps to protect our assets in any way you see fit. I think you'll find that the Thieves Guild is far more bark than bite and will likely avoid Goldenglow Estate rather than thin their already dwindling numbers. Good luck, and may this be the start of a long and lucrative partnership._ '

'Who's it from?'

'It doesn't say, lass. Instead of a name there's this symbol.' Bryn showed it to Lorien – a small dagger in front of a black circle of ink. 'Seen anything like it?'

She shook her head. 'We can theorise later.'

Bryn slid the letter into an inside pocket, then gave Lorien a quick smile. 'Let's get out of here.'

They found the trapdoor into the sewers and dropped into it quickly. Lorien took a deep breath and immediately regretted it – the smell wasn't pleasant. Bryn led her to the exit, and finally they emerged on the northwest side of the island.

'Now we just have to get to the beehives,' Bryn murmured.

Lorien nodded, although she'd almost forgotten about that.

'There are still a lot of mercenaries out here, but not near the bees. We should be able to get over there without shooting anyone.'

'Got it.' Lorien was glad of this. She'd had enough of shooting mercenaries for one day.

Bryn led the way again. They waded carefully through the stream, then clambered up the steep rocky bank to reach the beehives. Lorien ducked behind one of them as quickly as possible.

'I feel bad for the bees,' she whispered to Bryn.

He frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'They haven't done anything wrong, but they'll burn to death.'

Bryn looked at her for a moment, then smiled. 'I have an idea. _Formido_.'

Lorien watched as a red light appeared in Bryn's hand. It began to weave between the beehives, and soon enough bees started emerging. They flew away as if afraid.

'We have to be quick,' Bryn reminded Lorien as she watched the bees. 'Someone might have noticed that.'

Lorien nodded and held out her own hand. 'Ignis.' A flame appeared, and she held it under the nearest beehive.

'Only three,' Bryn reminded her.

Lorien moved onto the next beehive. She waited for the last few bees to fly away, then set that one on fire too.

Someone was yelling – something about smoke. Lorien glanced at Bryn, her eyes wide, and he drew a dagger.

Faster. Lorien set the last hive on fire with a silent apology to any bees still inside, then returned to Bryn. He flashed her a smile before grabbing her hand and pulling her upwards.

They ran out from behind the beehives and around the fence behind them. Lorien stumbled when they reached the rocks, but Bryn steadied her and they kept moving.

'Ready for a swim?' he asked.

An arrow hit the fence behind them. Lorien glanced backwards, then nodded quickly.

Bryn laughed, then ran the last few metres into the water. Lorien followed him, and both thieves disappeared into the lake.


	12. Returning Home

'How was that for a first mission?' Bryn asked when they finally made it to the opposite bank.

Lorien gazed at the plumes of smoke coming from Goldenglow. She could only imagine the chaos they'd caused. Three beehives burning, Aringoth dead in his dining room, the safe in the basement wide open and empty.

She tilted her head slightly. 'Bit boring for me. You'll have to find something very impressive for next time.'

Bryn laughed, then looked out over the water again. 'I can't believe Aringoth sold Goldenglow,' he murmured. 'What was he thinking?'

'I'm sorry we ended up having to kill him,' Lorien said, grimacing. 'We're not really supposed to do that, are we?'

'He didn't give us much choice. It wasn't your fault.'

'I got caught.'

'It was a bad plan, and the plan was Rune's idea.'

'Are you saying it's all Rune's fault?' Lorien asked.

Bryn smiled. 'That's exactly what I'm saying. We should be very angry with him.'

'We didn't exactly have any better ideas, Bryn. And it mostly worked out in the end.'

'It did. I'm glad you're alright.'

Lorien smiled to herself and watched the smoke rising from the island for a little longer. Then she stuck her hands into her pockets and frowned. There was a purse in one of them – the one she'd managed to pickpocket from Bryn.

'I forgot about this,' she said, retrieving it and showing it to Bryn.

He frowned, then rolled his eyes. 'I really didn't think you'd get hold of it.'

'You should've had more faith in me. What's inside? More lockpicks?' Lorien opened the purse without waiting for an answer and peered inside to see a glint of silver.

'Not quite, lass.'

It wasn't lockpicks. It was a small silver necklace.

'Bryn!' Lorien said indignantly, lifting the necklace out of the purse carefully. 'Did you buy this?'

'I acquired it. It's enchanted, you know.'

'What does it do?'

Bryn smiled like he'd been waiting for her to ask. 'It'll make you better at pickpocketing.'

Lorien laughed. 'As if I need that. I managed to get hold of this, didn't I?'

'I was going to give it to you anyway,' Bryn shrugged. 'What do you think?'

'I've never had jewellery.' Lorien was still looking at the necklace.

Bryn looked at her. 'Here,' he said after a moment. 'I can help you put it on, if you need a hand.'

Lorien nodded, handing him the necklace. 'Thanks.'

They both fell silent as Bryn fastened the chain around Lorien's neck. Suddenly Lorien was very conscious of her breathing.

'Why did you cut your hair?' Bryn asked, breaking the silence, and Lorien was grateful.

'It was getting a bit unmanageable,' she shrugged. 'My mother used to braid it a lot, and when she died my father just cut it when it got too long. Does it look alright? I couldn't really see what I was doing.'

Bryn nodded, then realised Lorien couldn't see him. 'It looks good. I mean—it suits you.'

'Thank you,' Lorien said quietly. Something felt strange. She turned around to face Bryn again. 'And thank you for the necklace. Every time I wear it, I'll remember how inadequate my pickpocketing skills are.'

Bryn laughed and the tension was broken. 'Maybe one day you'll manage adequate without the enchantment.'

They sat quietly, happily, for another few minutes. Lorien glanced over at Bryn every so often. Once, she though she saw his eyes flicking away from hers, but she couldn't be sure.

Eventually, they tore themselves away from the view and returned to the Guild. Mercer was waiting for them when they got back into the Guildhall.

Bryn elbowed Lorien. 'Remember, as far as Mercer is concerned you went to Goldenglow alone.' He handed her the slightly damp but still legible letter. 'I'll meet you later.'

Lorien only had time to nod before Bryn left her side. She approached Mercer slowly.

'I hope the smoke coming from Goldenglow is because of beehives burning rather than the whole house,' he said to her as soon as she arrived.

'Just three beehives,' Lorien told him. 'The house is fine, although Aringoth...'

'I don't care about the elf.' Mercer waved a hand dismissively. 'What did you find?'

Lorien blinked and retrieved the letter. 'A bill of sale.'

'Aringoth sold Goldenglow? Who to?'

'There's no name – just this symbol.'

Mercer snatched the letter from her and stared at it. 'Great. A symbol,' he sighed. 'Who's this – Gajul-Lei?' After frowning at the letter for a few seconds, he pocketed it and looked at Lorien instead. 'You did well on your first job.'

'Thank you,' Lorien said, risking a smile.

Mercer didn't return the gesture. 'I'll let you know when it's time for your next. Until then, help Vex and Delvin out.'

And so it would continue. Completing the Goldenglow job earned Lorien grudging respect from most of the Guild members, and she would continue to be given more jobs for almost a year. Sometimes these were from Mercer, sometimes smaller jobs from Vex and Delvin that took her further afield. Maven only gave her a job once, two months after Goldenglow, and Lorien went alone that time. It was near Whiterun, but Lorien had found that she wasn't tempted to visit the city anymore.

That job went well, and Lorien had returned to Bryn with another letter.

' _Sabjorn_ ,' she'd read out to him. ' _Within the enclosed crate, you'll find the final payment. As we discussed, should now begin brewing mead at full production. In regards to your concerns about interference from Maven Black-Briar, I can assure you that I'll do everything in my power to keep her assets and her cronies at bay. This is the beginning of a long and successful future for both of us._ '

'Who's this one from?' Bryn asked.

Lorien handed the letter to him. 'Just the symbol again. Maven told me to take it to Mercer.'

'That's probably a good idea, lass.'

Mercer looked at the symbol with an unreadable expression. 'This is the same one from Goldenglow,' he sighed.

Lorien nodded. 'It seems like someone really doesn't want us to work with Maven anymore.'

'They're trying to weaken us,' Mercer told her. 'To take us apart indirectly, by angering Maven Black-Briar. Very clever.'

'What can we do?'

Mercer looked at her for a second, then spoke again. 'Even after all of our adversary's posturing and planning, they've made a mistake. The Gajul-Lei mentioned in the last letter – that's an old alias used by one of our contacts. His real name is Gulum-Ei, and the slimy bastard knows something about the Goldenglow sale. We're going to find out where he is now. When we do, you need to get out there, shake him down and see what you come up with.'

Lorien nodded apprehensively. It didn't seem as though she could do much else. When Mercer finally tracked Gulum-Ei down to Solitude, Bryn decided to accompany Lorien there.

'In the nicest way possible,' he'd said, 'you're not the most intimidating of us. It might help to have me around.'

Lorien raised an eyebrow at him. 'Because you're so scary?'

'Now you understand, lass.' He winked and Lorien found that she couldn't keep sulking for long. 'Gulum-Ei's one of the most stubborn people I know of. We'll have our work cut out for us.'

Whether it was due to Bryn being there or not, the two of them eventually managed to get some information out of Gulum-Ei – if it could be called that.

'I was approached by a woman who wanted me to act as the broker for something big,' he told them. 'She flashed a bag of gold in my face, and said all I had to do was pay Aringoth for the estate. I brought him the coin, and walked away with her copy of the deed.'

'Did she tell you why?' Bryn asked, crossing his arms.

Gulum-Ei shrugged. 'Not at all. I tend not to ask too many questions when I'm on the job. I'm sure you, of all people, understand.'

Lorien narrowed her eyes. 'There has to be more.'

'She was quite angry, if I remember correctly. And it was directed at Mercer Frey.'

'I don't care about that – I need a name.'

'In this business, we rarely deal in names. Our identity comes from how much coin we carry.'

Lorien shook her head. 'Why do I feel like you're lying to me, Gulum-Ei?'

He smiled patronisingly. 'Look, that's all I know. I never promised you I'd have all the answers.' He stood up. 'Now, since our conversation is done, I'll be on my way.'

Lorien turned to Bryn after the Argonian had left. 'What are we supposed to do with that?' she asked him. 'All we know is that it's an angry woman.'

'I'm sure that he knows more,' Bryn frowned. 'We need to follow him.'

They did so, deep into the East Empire Company Warehouse. Gulum-Ei didn't spot them once, and if anyone else inside got too close Lorien took them out quickly.

One of these unfortunate bandits was stood right next to Gulum-Ei at the moment Lorien's arrow hit him. The Argonian yelped and jumped away from the body, colliding with the crates behind him.

Lorien and Bryn showed themselves, Lorien swiftly nocking another arrow to her bow. She aimed it at Gulum-Ei. 'We're not going to give up easily. Start talking.'

He held his hands up. 'Now... there's no need to do anything rash. This isn't as bad as it seems – I was going to tell Mercer about everything, honestly! Please... he'll have me killed!'

Lorien lowered her bow. 'Mercer doesn't have to know. You're just talking to me.' She smiled slightly, and saw Gulum-Ei's face relax.

'It was Karliah,' he told Lorien.

Bryn's face changed immediately upon hearing the name. Lorien looked at him, confused.

'Mercer never told you about her?' Gulum-Ei asked Lorien. 'Karliah... She's the thief responsible for murdering the previous Guild Master, Gallus. Now she's after Mercer.'

Lorien frowned, her hands tightening on her bow. 'And you're _helping_ her?'

'Helping?' Gulum-Ei echoed. 'No, no! Look, I didn't even know it was her until after she contacted me. Please, you have to believe me!'

'I do,' Lorien said after a moment. 'Will you tell me where she is now?'

'I don't know. When I asked her where she was going, she just muttered _where the end began_. Here – take the Goldenglow deed as proof. And when you speak to Mercer – tell him I'm worth more to him alive.'

Bryn was quieter than usual on the way back to Riften. 'I don't know how Mercer is going to take this,' he told Lorien. She was still coming to terms with what this was.

Mercer didn't take it well. If there had been another letter to give to him, Lorien was convinced that he would have ripped it to shreds.

'I haven't heard that name in decades,' he told Lorien eventually. 'Karliah is someone I hoped never to cross paths with again.'

Lorien felt a pang of sympathy for him, which was unusual. 'Gulum-Ei told me that she... that she's a murderer.'

'She destroyed everything this Guild stood for. Yes, she murdered my predecessor in cold blood and betrayed the entire Guild. We spent months trying to track her down, but she just vanished.'

'Why's she returned?'

Mercer looked down for a moment. 'Karliah and I were like partners. I went with her on every heist. We watched each other's backs. I know her techniques, her skills,' he was saying. 'If she kills me, there'll be no one left that could possibly catch her. If only we knew where she was, I could—'

' _Where the end began_ ,' Lorien murmured.

Mercer frowned at her. 'What did you say?'

'Gulum-Ei told me that Karliah said she was going to where the end began.'

Mercer thought about this for a few seconds, then turned away and began paging through a book. When Bryn and Lorien left him, he barely noticed.

They met Rune at the docks and sat quietly for a while before Bryn spoke.

'Karliah was in love with Gallus,' he told Lorien. 'Well. That's what we thought, until she betrayed us all and murdered Gallus, then disappeared. That's how Mercer became the Guild Master. He barely wanted the role – Gallus was a good friend of his. So was Karliah.'

'And now she's interfering with the Guild?' Lorien said quietly.

'As if she hasn't done enough,' Bryn scoffed.

Rune smiled sadly. 'At least we've found out that it's her now. Mercer will know what to do.'

'He'll do whatever it takes,' Bryn agreed. 'Karliah is finally going to be brought to justice.'

There was a pause, and Lorien looked at them both. 'He'll kill her?'

Rune nodded. 'She deserves it, Lori. Everything has gone downhill here since she killed Gallus – you've been the only new member. It's impacted every one of us.'

'No one else has joined?' Lorien asked disbelievingly.

Bryn shrugged. 'There've been a few, but they always ended up getting caught.'

'Or killed,' Rune added.

'Or scared off by how poorly our organisation was doing.'

'Or by Mercer.'

Lorien dangled her legs over the edge of the docks and swung them idly. 'You should have warned me about all of that.'

Rune laughed. 'We knew you'd be able to handle it.'

'Oh, really?' Lorien looked sideways at Bryn, who was staring at the water. 'Because some people don't think I'm _intimidating_ enough.'

Bryn looked up at that, then smiled. Lorien was relieved, and also a little proud that she'd managed to break his melancholy.

Rune patted Lorien's shoulder. 'I wouldn't take that to heart,' he told her. 'He just wanted an excuse to go to Solitude with you.'

Lorien raised an eyebrow, then looked at Bryn, who shook his head and stared at the water again. But he was still smiling.

After a while, the three of them headed towards the inn for some food. Lorien wasn't paying much attention to what was being said, but Rune was laughing loudly – it was easy to make him laugh. She smiled along absentmindedly, but her face changed when she saw who had just entered Riften.

What in Oblivion was Farkas doing here?

Bryn noticed that she had stopped walking and asked what was wrong. Lorien stared for a moment longer, then smiled. 'Just someone I used to know, in Whiterun.'

Bryn followed her gaze, then frowned. 'That one? With the clunky armour?'

'He's a Companion,' Lorien said, elbowing Bryn. She waved at Farkas, but he didn't seem to see her.

'Oh, a _Companion_ ,' Bryn was saying. 'He's got a greatsword, too? How does he move around?'

Lorien smiled mischievously. 'He's very _strong_ , Bryn. Look at those muscles.'

'I can't. His ridiculous armour is distracting me.'

'Lots of people use heavy armour.'

'You can tell a lot about a man by the armour he wears, lass.'

Lorien glared, semi-serious. 'He's my... friend. Can't you trust my judgment instead of passing your own?'

Rune patted Bryn on the back. 'It's alright, Bryn. You're very strong and muscular too.'

Lorien ignored them both and tried to catch Farkas' eye. He saw her and began walking over, but didn't smile.

'Lorien,' he said upon reaching her.

She frowned. 'Hello again. Is everything alright?'

Farkas didn't answer her question. Instead he looked at Bryn and Rune, then back at her. 'Nice armour.'

'Thank you,' Lorien said uncertainly. 'What's going on, Farkas? What are you doing in Riften?'

'The Companions are often asked to deal with people who are causing trouble in their respective Holds,' Farkas told her. 'Often it's thieves.'

 _Oh_. 'What are you trying to say, Farkas?'

'There's been talk of a thief called Lorien operating in Riften. It came to our attention when her work began to spread to other Holds too. I was asked to... teach her a lesson.'

'What does that mean?' Lorien asked.

'Most of the time, it's sort of... roughing them up a bit. Brawling. Whatever has to be done to persuade them to stop.'

Bryn stepped forwards. 'I think we've heard enough.'

Farkas stood his ground. 'I'm talking to Lorien,' he said.

'No, you're threatening to beat her up.'

Lorien looked at Bryn. 'It's alright,' she told him. 'Go to the inn – I'll be there soon.'

Bryn looked at Lorien for a moment, then at Rune, who shrugged. They left reluctantly and went inside.

'Can we just talk now?' Lorien asked Farkas.

He sighed. 'What are you doing here, Lorien?'

'What do you mean?'

'You're a thief! I thought you... I thought you wanted more than that. To be a Companion, even.'

Lorien frowned at him. 'Farkas, we only spoke three times, and that was months ago! You don't know what I want.'

'But you were working, trying to make a living for yourself—'

'I still am!'

'This isn't the same. You're stealing from people who don't deserve it.'

'How would you know?' Lorien asked. She could feel her temper rising. _Stay calm_.

Farkas shook his head, frustrated. 'That's what thieves do!'

'They're not just thieves, Farkas. They're people. So am I. Maybe it's not the Companions, but I feel... really happy there.'

'How can you trust them? They deceive others for a living.'

'Because some of them are my friends,' Lorien shrugged. 'And they wouldn't judge me if I chose a different path to them.'

Farkas met her gaze, then sighed. 'I'm not going to fight you.'

'I won't stop you. I wouldn't be able to.'

'Yeah, well, I'm not going to. I just wanted to try and talk to you. If you want to come back to Whiterun with me...'

Lorien smiled a little, but shook her head.

'Well, the offer's there. I'll probably stay here until tomorrow.'

'I'll keep it in mind.' Even as Lorien said it, she knew they were both well aware that she was lying. 'And I'll make sure you don't get robbed in the night.'

'Thanks,' Farkas said, even managing a smile.

They walked into the inn together, and Bryn and Rune both looked over at the door immediately. Lorien gave Farkas a small smile before leaving him and sitting down with her friends instead.

'Who won?' Rune asked, taking a drink from his tankard.

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'There was no fight. You could have bought me a drink while you were waiting.'

Bryn leaned back in his chair. 'We weren't sure what you would want, lass.'

That was a good point; Lorien wasn't sure herself. 'What are you drinking?'

'Ale,' Bryn told her. 'Rune's got Black-Briar mead.'

Lorien grabbed Bryn's drink and tried a little. It was strong and bitter. She shook her head and took Rune's instead. That was sweeter, and she drank a little more.

'Hey!' Rune said, snatching his drink back. 'You're too young to be drinking so much.'

Lorien laughed and crossed her legs on her chair. 'I'm nearly eighteen years old now. Are those the only drinks on offer?'

'Gods, no!' Bryn laughed. 'You haven't tried any of Talen-Jei's special drinks.' He called Talen over, and the Argonian eagerly told Lorien about the drinks he'd created.

'First is the Velvet LeChance – a mixture of blackberry, honey, spiced wine and a touch of nightshade. Perfectly safe, I assure you,' he added. 'Second, we have the White-Gold Tower, which is heavy cream with a layer of blended mead, lavender and dragon's tongue on top. Last, and only for the bravest of souls, we have the Cliff Racer – Firebrand Wine, Cyrodiilic Brandy, Flin and Sujamma.'

Lorien blinked, unsure of what Flin and Sujamma even were. 'I'll... I'll try the White-Gold Tower, please.'

Bryn smiled. 'A reminder of home?'

'Cyrodiil isn't really home anymore,' she shrugged.

'That's alright, lass. Just means you get to find a new one.'

Lorien looked at Bryn, then at Rune. Her drink arrived and she tried to sip it carefully, but still ended up with cream covering her top lip. Rune laughed until she whacked him in the arm.

Sometimes it seemed as though Lorien might have already found something resembling home.


	13. Near-Death Experience: Exhibit A

When Lorien got back, it was to a note from Mercer instructing her to meet him at Snow Veil Sanctum as soon as possible. He wanted her to help him hunt down Karliah.

Lorien stared at the letter for a few seconds, then folded it and put it in her pocket. She had no idea why Mercer had chosen her to accompany him, but it could only be a good sign. Clearly he trusted her – he _had_ noticed how hard she'd been working to prove herself since joining the Guild.

She hurried to her bed and opened her chest to find her weapons. Maven had given her a dagger enchanted with a health draining spell, which she stuck in her left boot. Her bow and arrows went on her back, as usual. She needed to eat something – in fact, she should probably take some food with her. How far away was Snow Veil Sanctum? She had no idea.

She found Rune talking to Bryn and asked him. He looked surprised, then told her it was near Windhelm.

Lorien nodded. 'And... where's Windhelm? I've never been there.'

'It's a long way north of here. Why do you need to go to Snow Veil Sanctum?'

'Mercer's asked me to go with him to look for Karliah. I didn't realise it was so far away.'

'Nearly a day, if you're walking. Which I wouldn't advise. Where's Mercer?'

'He's already left,' Lorien explained. 'He wants me to meet him at this place as soon as possible. How do I get there?'

Rune shrugged. 'Steal a horse.'

Lorien just looked at him.

He shrugged. 'Call yourself a thief... Well, you can always take the carriage to Windhelm and walk from there. Shouldn't take you long.' Lorien thanked him and made to leave, but Rune stopped her. 'Wait – maybe you shouldn't go on your own. It's a long way.'

'Mercer specifically instructed me to come alone,' Lorien shrugged. 'I don't think he's willing to take any risks.'

Bryn frowned and spoke for the first time. 'Then why's he taking you, lass?'

Lorien blinked, affronted. 'What do you mean?'

'Just... You have the least experience. You don't know Karliah or how she operates at all.'

'But somehow I found all the clues leading us to her?'

'I came with you on most of those jobs,' Bryn pointed out.

'I didn't ask you to,' Lorien retorted. 'Clearly Mercer at least has noticed that I actually have some ability, despite all the things everyone else loves to point out! I'm well aware that I'm the newest member – because I've been the only new recruit tough enough to stick around!'

Bryn sighed, running a hand over his hair. 'It just feels wrong, lass—'

'Don't!' Lorien interrupted. She took a step forward. 'I may be the youngest here, Brynjolf. But you're the one acting like a child! You're just jealous that Mercer chose me instead of you!'

She turned away without waiting for a reply and stormed out of the Guildhall. Her anger spurred her on, and she was outside of Riften within a minute. In the next, she'd paid for passage to Windhelm and was climbing aboard a carriage. It was only many, many minutes later – the next day, in fact – that Lorien figured out the reason that Mercer had chosen her. And it was nothing for Bryn to be jealous of.

* * *

'Good – you're finally here,' Mercer said when Lorien arrived.

She was tired, cold and hungry despite the meal she'd bought in Windhelm. But she knew this was her opportunity to truly prove herself to Mercer. Once he acknowledged her abilities, everyone else would follow suit. They would have to.

'I've scouted the ruins,' Mercer continued, 'and I'm certain that Karliah is still inside.'

Lorien nodded. 'Did you see her?'

'No – I found her horse. Don't worry, I've taken care of it.' Lorien glanced to her right, where the body of a horse was sprawled on the snow. She tried not to grimace. 'Karliah won't be using it to escape.'

'Alright,' Lorien said, tearing her eyes away from the horse. 'Should we get going?'

Mercer nodded. 'I want to catch her while she's distracted. You take the lead.'

'I – You want me to lead?'

'Did you mishear me?' Mercer asked harshly. Lorien shook her head, and Mercer seemed to compose himself. 'Yes, I want you to lead. Keep your eyes open. The last thing I need is you blundering into a trap and warning her that we're here.'

Lorien nodded again – it didn't seem like there was much else she could do. She drew her bow and turned away from Mercer, heading towards the nearby steps. They let to a carved stone door, which Lorien found locked.

She looked back at Mercer, embarrassed to need help so early, but he surprised her by smiling.

'They say that these ancient Nordic burial mounds are sometimes impenetrable,' he told her. 'But this one doesn't look too difficult.' Lorien stepped out of the way, and Mercer moved towards the door. Completely unlike Bryn, he continued talking as he worked on the lock. 'Quite simple, really,' he said. 'I don't know what the fuss is about these locks. All it takes is a bit of know-how and a lot of skill.'

Lorien couldn't see exactly what Mercer was doing, but it seemed to work. The lock soon clicked under his hands.

'That should do it,' he said, straightening up. 'After you.'

Mercer turned out to be right about all the traps inside the ruin. Lorien had to remain constantly on her guard. She was relieved that some of the draugr had been killed, at least. Those that hadn't, she shot at while trying to remain hidden as much as possible.

Her efforts weren't much compared to Mercer's. He was armed with a large sword, but he wielded it in one hand and attacked the remaining draugr as though it was enjoyable.

Despite this, after all the nearby draugr had been killed, Mercer turned to Lorien and complimented her briefly on her performance so far. Lorien risked a small smile. Inside, she was filling with pride and relief.

There were more draugr to come, but Lorien paid attention to how Mercer fought and adapted her own approach. He surged forwards to fight them head-on, so Lorien remained at a distance and fired arrow after arrow whenever she got the chance.

'So concludes the lesson,' Mercer told the draugr as he pulled his sword from one of the corpses. None of them were listening, so he turned to Lorien instead and smiled briefly.

Lorien was shocked for a moment, but quickly continued moving. She'd been asked to take the lead, after all.

'Karliah always was a nimble minx,' Mercer told her as they walked. 'Slipping past these draugr must have been child's play for her.'

It was, admittedly, harder for Lorien and Mercer. Especially with all the traps and bone chimes Karliah had left in her wake. But they were on the right track.

Lorien only stopped moving once – in a room containing a strange stone wall. It was carved with markings she'd never seen before, a few of which were glowing blue. It seemed blinding for a moment, and she closed her eyes. It was almost as though she could hear chanting.

'What are you waiting for?' Mercer asked her.

Her eyes snapped open. 'Can you hear that?' she asked.

'What?'

'Almost... chanting. Coming from there.' Lorien pointed towards the wall, immediately realising how strange it sounded. But she could hear it.

'I don't know what you mean,' Mercer said. 'Let's go, Lorien.'

Lorien stared at the wall for a second longer, then nodded. 'I'm sorry.'

The next room contained a door, the like of which Lorien had never seen before. She ran a hand over it carefully. There were four circles, two of which contained a carving of a bird. The smallest was decorated with some other animal that Lorien couldn't quite make out, and the largest had what looked like a hand on it – except it only had three claw-like fingers.

Mercer approached to examine the door too. 'It's one of the infamous Nordic puzzle doors,' he told Lorien. 'How quaint. Without the matching claw, they're normally impossible to open. And since I'm certain Karliah already did away with it, we're on our own.'

Lorien frowned. Surely they couldn't stop now – they were too close. 'What do we do?'

'These doors have a weakness,' Mercer assured her, 'if you know how to exploit it. Quite simple, really.' He fiddled with the largest circle for a few seconds, then stepped away. There was a loud scraping noise, and the door began to retract into the floor. Lorien's eyes widened.

'Karliah's close,' Mercer whispered. 'Let's move.'

Lorien nodded and stepped over the threshold created by the sunken door. The room she entered was enormous. She looked up at the ceiling—

—then was knocked backwards by an incredible force hitting her in the chest, inches above her heart. Lorien cried out in pain, the entire left side of her body seeming to pull away from her. She stumbled, then looked down. She'd been shot – the arrow was lodged below her collarbone. A searing pain seemed to be spreading from it.

She glanced back at Mercer, who barely stopped to look at her. Of course – she'd been shot by Karliah. Mercer would finally kill her, then help Lorien. Of course.

Logically, Lorien knew this, but it didn't stop her from clawing at the arrow with a hand that no longer felt like it belonged to her. The room span. Lorien swayed and crumpled to the floor, letting out a strangled groan.

Her eyes closed – there was nothing she could do to stop them. When she finally managed to open them again, Mercer was standing a few feet in front of her. A woman – Karliah! – was moving towards him. Lorien strained to get up, but found that she couldn't move at all.

Karliah descended the steps to stand in front of Mercer. Her bow was drawn.

Mercer spoke first. 'Do you honestly think your arrow will reach me before my blade finds your heart?'

'Give me a reason to try,' Karliah replied in a surprisingly soft voice.

'You're a clever girl, Karliah. Buying Goldenglow Estate and funding Honningbrew Meadery was inspired.'

' _To ensure an enemy's defeat, you must first undermine his allies_ ,' Karliah recited. 'It was the first lesson Gallus taught us.'

'You always were a quick study.'

'Not quick enough, otherwise Gallus would still be alive.' The soft voice disappeared – her words were full of spite.

'Gallus had his wealth and he had you,' Mercer said, seemingly bored by the conversation. 'All he had to do was look the other way.'

Lorien felt as though her mind was struggling to move as well as her body. What was Mercer talking about?

'Did you forget the Oath we took as Nightingales?' Karliah asked him. 'Did you expect him to simply ignore your methods?'

'Enough of this mindless banter!' Mercer interrupted. He drew his sword. 'Come, Karliah. It's time for you and Gallus to become reunited!'

Karliah made no move to attack him. After a moment, she disappeared into thin air.

'I'm no fool, Mercer,' her voice said. 'Crossing blades with you would be a death sentence. But I can promise that the next time we meet, it will be your undoing.'

Mercer stared around the empty room for a few seconds, then sheathed his sword. He began walking towards Lorien, who tried to move again. The relentless pain in her chest was becoming unbearable - she was relieved that Mercer was coming.

He looked down at her. 'How interesting,' he said. 'It appears Gallus' history has repeated itself. Karliah has provided me with the means to be rid of you, and this ancient tomb becomes your final resting place.'

Everything inside Lorien was hurting. Mercer's words came together in her head, but she still couldn't make sense of it.

'But do you know what intrigues me the most?' Mercer continued. 'The fact that this was all possible because of you.' He drew his sword, and Lorien managed to open her mouth. It was all she could do. 'Farewell. I'll be certain to give Brynjolf your regards.'

Bryn?

Many thoughts crashed into Lorien's head in the second between Mercer's words and his sword plunging into her stomach. Her skin ripped apart, her body screamed, her eyes—closed.

She was faintly aware of footsteps moving away from her, but the sound barely registered in her mind. All she could focus on was the enormous pain tearing through her.

Movement returned to her gradually, but it was no good. Lorien clutched at her stomach pointlessly, her hands coming away slick with blood.

No one would ever find her here, she realised. Mercer would tell everyone she'd been killed by a draugr – or by Karliah. Yes, he'd turn them against Karliah as much as he could. But it was Mercer who had killed Gallus. He must have known that Lorien would find out.

Oh, gods – that was why he'd asked Lorien to come with him, to lead the way. She was the most dispensable member of the Guild, and the easiest for Mercer to get rid of. It would be believable that Lorien had died at someone else's hand. That's why he'd chosen her.

Lorien squeezed her eyes shut, remembering her argument with Bryn. He'd been right all along, but she couldn't even tell him that.

When she tried to open her eyes again, she found that she couldn't. Her vision had become blurry anyway. Her hands fell flat on her stomach – useless. Lorien tried her best to breathe, but the air scraped and stuck in her throat. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to go.

Nevertheless, everything faded away.


	14. Stabbing Someone and Robbing Them? Not Cool, Man

Lorien only managed to open her eyes again many hours later. She found herself confronted by blinding light, and reasoned that this was how the afterlife began.

Then something moved nearby, and Lorien jerked away from it instinctively. She tried to stand, or at least sit up, but pain shot through her. She groaned, curling in on herself again.

'Easy, easy,' a soft voice said. 'Don't try to get up so quickly.'

Lorien blinked several times, her vision clearing. The blinding light seemed to have been sunlight reflecting off of the snow all around her. And there was Karliah, standing in front of her.

'How are you feeling?' she asked.

Lorien pushed herself into a sitting position. 'I... I'm alright. But you...'

'I shot you?' Karliah finished, crossing her arms. 'Yes. And it saved your life. My arrow was tipped with a unique paralytic poison – it slowed your heart and kept you from bleeding out. Had I intended to kill you, we wouldn't be having this conversation.'

'Then... why did you save me?'

'My original plan was to use that arrow on Mercer, but I never had a clear shot. I made a split-second decision to get you out of the way instead, and it prevented your death.'

Shakily, Lorien got to her feet. She felt sick. 'Thank you,' she mumbled.

Karliah sighed. 'The poison on that arrow took me a year to perfect – I only had enough for a single shot. All I had hoped was to capture Mercer alive.'

'Why? I thought you wanted to kill him.'

'Mercer must be brought before the Guild to answer for what he's done. He needs to pay for Gallus' murder.'

Lorien rubbed her forehead. 'What are you going to do now?'

'I'm going to prove what he did to the Guild,' Karliah told her. 'My purpose in using Snow Veil Sanctum to ambush Mercer wasn't simply for irony's sake. Before you arrived, I recovered a journal from Gallus' remains. I suspect the information we need is written inside.'

'Have you read it?'

'I wish I could. It's written in some sort of language I've never seen before. But perhaps... Enthir...' Karliah trailed off, glancing around her. 'I'll look into it. I might know someone who can help. You should return to the Guild.'

Lorien nodded, then stopped. 'What if Mercer's there?'

'I doubt he'll have gone back. And if he had, it won't be for long. The Guild will protect you—I've just realised I don't know your name.'

'Lorien,' she supplied.

Karliah nodded. 'I expect you already know my name.'

'I heard a lot of things about you. It doesn't seem like many of them are true anymore.'

'That doesn't surprise me. Well, Lorien, now you do know the truth. But... the Guild will never believe you without proof. If you run in there telling them that Mercer's a murderer, they won't receive you well. Hm.'

'What do I do?'

'It might be a good idea to find somewhere else to stay for a while. I'll try to write to you as soon as I find out more about Gallus' journal.'

Lorien nodded dubiously and walked to Winterhold with Karliah. It was only after they'd said goodbye and Lorien had begun to make her way towards the carriage that she realised – Mercer had taken her coin purse.

'How long would it take to walk to Whiterun from here?' she asked the carriage driver.

He looked down at her. 'About a day. Maybe more in this weather. Can't afford a ride?'

'All my money was stolen.'

'Ah, that's rough. Wish I could help you, but my pockets are pretty light as it is.'

Lorien nodded and thanked him anyway. A day's walk would be fine – she started down the road.

In the end it was more like a day and a night. Lorien's stomach was still twinging with pain every time she moved, and she got a little lost more times than she would have liked to admit. When she finally got to Whiterun, it was all she could do to reach the marketplace. Her body felt full of aching.

She glanced at the inn. No money left, but maybe Hulda would be charitable towards her.

Involuntarily, Lorien's eyes strayed to Jorvasskr.

* * *

Bryn wasn't in the Guildhall when Mercer returned, but Rune was.

He, amongst others, hurried to speak to Mercer immediately. _Is Karliah dead?_ seemed to be echoing around the hall.

'No,' Mercer told them bluntly. 'She escaped. I'm going after her now – just came back for supplies.'

This seemed to satisfy most people, and eventually they dispersed. Rune remained.

'Mercer?' he said carefully. It was clear that the Guild Master wasn't in a good mood. 'Where's Lorien?'

Mercer stopped packing his bag for a moment and looked at Rune. Then he walked to the centre of the Guildhall and stood on the bridge.

'I have more news for you all,' he announced. His voice immediately commanded the attention of everyone in the hall. Faces turned his way.

'Lorien, our newest member, accompanied me. She was shot and killed by Karliah. There was nothing I could have done – believe me, I tried. This is why Karliah managed to escape.

'Once more, Karliah has murdered one of our own in cold blood. She must be taught that we will not stand for this repeated treachery. I will be absent from the Guild for a while, to hunt the traitor down myself. This time I will go alone, but rest assured that Karliah will get what she deserves.'

When Mercer returned to his desk, Rune was still standing beside it. He glanced around the room, then caught sight of Bryn descending the ladder into the hall.

Rune hurried to meet him. Bryn gave him a small smile, then tossed him a pouch.

'I got that circlet Delvin wanted so badly,' he announced. 'Right off the man's head! It was quite something.'

Rune looked down at the pouch. 'Mercer just got back,' he said.

Bryn sighed. 'Let me guess – Lorien's still angry with me.'

'No—'

'Good, because I want to show her that circlet. I bet it beats anything she's stolen so far. Can I have it back?'

Rune passed him the pouch. 'She's not here, Bryn.' He didn't really want to say it explicitly.

'Where is she?' Bryn asked. When Rune didn't answer, Bryn frowned. 'Rune? What are you—Where is she?'

'Karliah killed her,' Rune finally said.

Bryn didn't reply. He seemed to have forgotten the circlet. Instead he stared at something Rune couldn't see for a few seconds. Then he spoke.

'I told her—she shouldn't have gone.'

'I know.'

'She didn't stand a chance.'

'Mercer must have thought that she did.'

Bryn looked at Rune then, as if only just remembering that Mercer existed. 'Mercer. Why did he take her?'

'I don't know. You would have to ask him,' Rune shrugged. When Bryn nodded, he backtracked. 'I didn't mean—Bryn! I didn't mean you should actually ask him! He's... not in a good mood.'

'Neither am I,' Bryn pointed out.

'There was nothing Mercer could have done,' Rune called after his friend.

Bryn stopped walking, then turned. 'He could have left her here!' he yelled. 'She was fine here. Now another of us is dead.'

'Mercer's going back on his own,' Rune said. 'He'll find Karliah and she'll finally... get what she deserves. Bryn, there's nothing else we can do.'

Bryn gestured around him, then let his hands fall to his sides. 'We should have persuaded her to stay,' he said. 'I should have. Instead of arguing with her.'

'She's hot-headed,' Rune shrugged. _Was_ hot-headed. Gods.

Bryn noticed his slip too, but didn't mention it. He didn't go after Mercer either. Rune was right – there was nothing they could do.

* * *

Lorien stumbled into Jorvasskr in the middle of the night. She wasn't expecting anyone to be awake, let alone around. But there was Aela, talking with a man Lorien didn't know. They both turned to look at her.

'I don't have anywhere else to go,' Lorien mumbled. She felt like she might keel over at any moment.

Aela moved forwards. 'It's that girl Farkas knew,' she told the other man.

'I'll get him,' the man said.

Aela nodded and grabbed Lorien's arm. 'Hey. Look at me. What happened?'

Lorien wrapped her free arm around her stomach. 'I was stabbed,' she said quietly. 'But it's alright now. I think it's alright now.'

'Who healed you?'

'A friend. I don't—I haven't looked at it.'

Aela examined Lorien's armour and found the tear in the leather. Right over the stomach. 'It's bleeding again—Lorien? You might have to undress.'

'It's alright,' Lorien assured her. 'I'm just... I need to sleep. Can I stay here? Just for one night, I promise—'

Before she could say anything else, a door opened and the man hurried back up the stairs. Farkas was behind him.

Aela looked at them, then back at Lorien. 'I'll get one of the healers.'

Lorien nodded earnestly. Aela let go of her arm, and Farkas took hold of it instead. She felt a little steadier.

'Lorien?' Farkas said, concern obvious in his voice. 'What's happened?'

'You were right,' Lorien told him. 'About them. All they do is steal and lie. Their leader... He...' She was shaking. 'Farkas?'

'I'm right here.'

'I thought I was going to die.' Lorien's voice broke.

Farkas stared at her. 'You don't have to talk now. You can just rest here, alright? Does he know where you are? Lorien?' His voice rose. 'Lorien, does he know you're here?'

'No. No. He's long gone.'

A sigh of relief. 'Good. Stay here for as long as you want.'

'Just one night.'

'As long as you want. I'll make sure of it.'

Lorien almost started crying. 'I'm sorry for getting angry with you... before.' She wasn't sure how long ago it had been. 'I was wrong about them.'

'Well, you're here now. I won't hold it against you.' Farkas stayed right next to Lorien as she walked down the stairs, then led her to a bed. Lorien thanked him and lay down as soon as he was gone. He returned soon afterwards with a woman in yellow robes, but Lorien's eyes remained closed while the woman healed her.

_Safe. Somehow, you're safe. You need to keep it that way._

Now sleep. But she couldn't. Every time she closed her eyes, fears would crowd her mind. Maybe she'd never open her eyes again. Maybe someone here would betray her too. Maybe—

Eventually, exhaustion won out.


	15. One Month Later

In the end, Lorien stayed in Jorvasskr for a month. She never fully explained what had happened to Farkas, only telling him that she was betrayed by the leader of the Guild, who had stabbed her and taken her money. He immediately gave her some of his own, and Lorien accepted it on the condition that she would pay it back as soon as possible.

'It won't take long if you stay with us,' Farkas told her.

'You mean with the Companions?'

'Yes. Lorien, I think joining us could be really good for you. And I know you have skills – you wouldn't have survived for long as you have without them.'

'It's just... a big decision.'

'I know,' Farkas shrugged. 'But think about it.'

Lorien managed a nod, then looked around her. Deep down, she thought that both of them knew she wouldn't join the Companions any time soon. A few days ago, Vilkas had unsheathed his greatsword to clean it. Lorien had been nearby, and as soon as she registered the glint of steel she'd jerked away from him with such force that her chair almost overturned.

So she couldn't really be a Companion. But they were keeping her safe, and for that she was grateful. And after a little while, Aela told her to practise archery with her, and Lorien agreed. Farkas even trained her in melee fighting too. Lorien managed to enjoy that – she hadn't used a sword in a long time.

Still, Lorien couldn't see herself joining the Companions. But before she could ponder any longer, the doors to Jorvasskr flew open. A guard was stood in the doorway.

'The western watchtower is being attacked by a dragon!' she yelled. 'We need your help.'

All around the room, Companions jumped to their feet. Those who weren't already armed retrieved weapons from the racks on the walls and hurried towards the door. There were weapons all around Lorien. She felt paralysed again.

Farkas paused and placed a hand on her shoulder. 'Stay here,' he told her. 'Don't leave the city. Don't even leave this hall.'

'You're really going to fight it?' Lorien asked.

'We have to. Something tells me it'll be the fight of a lifetime. I wish you could come, but—'

Lorien shook her head. 'Go. Be careful.'

After a moment, Farkas nodded. Lorien watched as he and the other Companions hurried out of Jorvasskr.

Once they were gone, Lorien felt out of place in the mead hall. She didn't really have any right to be there. And now there was no Farkas glaring at anyone that gave her a second glance.

Admittedly, there was no one else there either. Lorien sat at the table and took a half-hearted bite of bread. She caught sight of a sweetroll, and it conjured a sudden, vivid memory – sitting in the training room with Bryn, sharing the sweet prize, laughing and—

 _Move on, move on, move on._ Lorien couldn't go back there. She needed to do what she'd always done in this situation – move on and stop thinking about the people she was leaving behind.

It was difficult. The last thing Mercer had said to her kept circling her head. _I'll be certain to give Brynjolf your regards._

What had he meant? Why would he have seen Bryn again to tell him anything at all? Had he been implying something – perhaps even that Bryn had been in on the whole thing?

Lorien's eyes widened. That wasn't possible, surely. Bryn had tried to persuade Lorien not to go with Mercer.

_And that made me want to go more than anything._

Without really meaning to, Lorien reached for her necklace and twisted the chain between her fingers. Bryn was not that kind of person – she was sure of it. Almost completely.

Almost completely was not enough. She'd been planning to write a letter to the Guild, just something to let Bryn and Rune know she was alright, but what if Bryn came after her to finish the job?

Lorien almost laughed. That wasn't Bryn. She knew him.

_You knew Mercer, too._

A noise from outside. Within a second, the dagger that was always in Lorien's boot was in her hand. She stood facing the door, knife brandished, but her hand was shaking slightly.

Nothing came through the door. Lorien kept staring at it anyway. She left her dagger on the table for easier access when she finally sat down again.

An hour passed. Lorien spent it thinking, and glancing at the door every so often.

The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed that Bryn could have been involved in Mercer's plans. Maybe even from the beginning. Maybe that was why Bryn had been trusted with finding recruits – Mercer had told him to get hold of someone weak and dispensable. It made sense.

The door opened and Lorien was up in an instant. It was Vilkas that entered, however, and Lorien sat down quickly.

'Is everyone alright?' she asked. Her voice cracked – she hadn't spoken in a long time.

Vilkas nodded. 'We killed the damn thing in the end. I think Farkas wants to show you the body... or something. It's safe out there now.'

Lorien grimaced, but when she saw how excited Farkas was it became difficult to say no. She let him lead her out of Jorvasskr, then out of Whiterun.

'It was incredible, Lori,' he told her as they walked. Lorien flinched at the nickname – only Rune had called her that. Farkas was oblivious. 'We heard this roar, like thunder, and the dragon just appeared out of nowhere. Aela was great, she ran straight up that watchtower and started shooting it like crazy. I got close enough to hit it – I stabbed it right in the stomach, Lori, and...' he glanced at Lorien, who was staring at the ground. Her hands were tightly curled. 'Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that.'

Lorien shrugged. 'It's alright. Different situation. I'm nothing like a dragon.'

Farkas laughed, sounding genuine enough, and kept talking. Lorien found it difficult to listen, but she nodded and smiled whenever Farkas did. She was glad he was alright, and that he was happy. She really was.

'There it is,' Farkas announced. Lorien looked up and saw a hulking grey shape on the ground, next to the watchtower – which was also looking a little worse for wear.

'It's big,' she observed.

'Even bigger with its wings out. You wouldn't have believed your eyes.'

 _Well, I have seen a dragon before._ Lorien nodded anyway.

'Do you want to get closer?' Farkas asked.

Lorien nodded, surprising herself. She took a few steps forwards. 'It's glowing.'

Farkas frowned at the corpse. It was as if there was a fire burning inside the dragon's body, and light was beginning to escape through the scales. 'It wasn't doing that before.'

The light began to form bright rays, which intertwined with each other. Lorien watched as the stream of light moved towards her. Farkas was staring. He was in the wrong place. Lorien took a step to the side, but the light followed her.

'What is this?' she asked Farkas. He shook his head wordlessly.

Lorien suddenly felt weightless. The light was encircling her body. She had no idea what was happening, but it felt too good for her to question. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, the dragon's body had burst into flames. The scales flaked away and floated like ashes.

Strength and life and _skill_ flowed through Lorien's body. For the first time since Karliah had shot her, she smiled.


	16. That's a Lot of Steps

Lorien walked back to Whiterun with Farkas shortly after that, but they didn't talk much. Both of them seemed to be struggling to understand what had happened.

'Maybe it was just because I was so close to the dragon,' Lorien suggested after a while.

'Maybe,' Farkas said, but he didn't sound convinced.

'Have you heard of anything like that before?'

'There haven't been any dragons to kill for centuries,' Farkas reminded her.

Lorien looked at the ground. She had so many questions, and no one to answer them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a thundering voice that seemed to come from the sky. ' _DOVAHKIIN_!'

Both Lorien and Farkas turned as if someone behind them had somehow made the sound. There was no one there, of course. When they reached Whiterun, Irileth was at the gates.

'Did you come from the watchtower?' she asked quickly.

'I was just showing the dragon's body to Lorien,' Farkas said. 'And then—'

'The Shout?' Irileth asked. She didn't wait for a response. 'Lorien, isn't it? You should come with me. Both of you.'

Lorien nodded and followed Irileth. When they approached the Jarl, he was deep in conversation with a man Lorien didn't recognise.

'You heard the summons,' Balgruuf was saying. 'What else could it mean?'

Irileth led Lorien and Farkas to stand in front of him, and Balgruuf glanced over. He immediately recognised Lorien.

'You warned us of the dragon from Helgen,' he said. 'Lorien, wasn't it? I should have known you'd return here just as the dragons did. Were you there for the fight?'

Lorien glanced at Irileth, then back to the Jarl. 'No. But Farkas was.'

The Jarl looked over at Farkas, who nodded. 'The dragon was killed, my lord.'

'I knew I could count on Irileth.' Balgruuf smiled, relieved. 'But what about after the dragon died? Did anything... strange happen? To anyone?'

'Not then,' Farkas told him. 'But I took Lorien to see the body, and... there was this light...'

'It surrounded me,' Lorien said quietly. 'I think I... absorbed it.' She realised how strange this sounded too late.

'So it's true,' Balgruuf said quietly. 'The Greybeards were summoning you.'

'The Greybeards?'

'Masters of the Way of the Voice. They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the Throat of the World.'

'What's the... Way of the Voice?'

'It's something that the Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in,' Balgruuf explained. 'The ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um – a Shout. If you are Dragonborn – and it sounds like you are – they can teach you to use your gift.'

The man Lorien didn't recognise spoke up. 'Did you hear the thundering sound as you returned to Whiterun?' he asked excitedly. 'That was the voice of the Greybeards, summoning you to High Hrothgar! This hasn't happened in... centuries, as least. Not since Tiber Septim himself was summoned!'

Proventus Avenicci shook his head. 'Hrongar, calm yourself. What does any of this Nord nonsense have to do with Lorien here? I don't see any signs of her being this... Dragonborn.'

'Nord nonsense?' Hrongar echoed, his voice rising. 'You puffed up, ignorant—These are our sacred traditions, that go back to the founding of the First Empire!'

Jarl Balgruuf held up a hand. 'Hrongar, don't be so hard on Avenicci.'

'I meant no disrespect, of course,' Proventus assured Balgruuf. 'It's just that... What do these Greybeards want with her?'

Lorien shifted awkwardly, unused to being the topic of conversation. She didn't even know what Dragonborn meant.

'That's the Greybeards' business, not ours.' The Jarl turned to Lorien. 'Whatever happened when you killed that dragon, it revealed something in you. The Greybeards heard it. If they think you're Dragonborn, who are we to argue? You'd better get up to High Hrothgar immediately. There's no refusing the summons of the Greybeards – it's a great honour.'

'Immediately?' Lorien repeated.

Balgruuf chuckled. 'I know this is a lot to take in. You must have questions.'

'What does it mean to be Dragonborn?' Lorien asked quickly.

Balgruuf thought it over for a moment. 'Well... in the old tales, the Dragonborn heroes would use the power of the Voice to defeat the enemies of Skyrim. Wulfharth was a Dragonborn – Talos, too, the founder of the Empire.'

'Talos?' Lorien said disbelievingly.

'Indeed. In the very oldest tales, the Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power.'

Could that be what had just happened? Lorien looked at the floor, then back at the Jarl. 'What do I do now?'

* * *

Lorien was already tired when she reached Ivarstead. Farkas' gift of money had been nowhere near enough to buy a horse – not that she would have asked that from him – and she didn't think stealing one would be a good idea. More attention was on her than ever before.

There were two men standing on the bridge into Ivarstead, both of whom turned to look at her as she approached.

'Hello, traveller,' one of them called. 'Are you on your way to High Hrothgar, by any chance?'

Lorien nodded.

'I told you they'd come through here,' the man said to his friend. He turned back to Lorien. 'Are you the one they summoned?'

'I'm not sure yet,' Lorien said carefully. 'That's why I'm going. Do you have any idea what I should expect?'

'I've been to the monastery many times, but I've never even laid eyes on one of the Greybeards. Not that I'd care to. They could kill you by uttering a single word. I'm sure they wouldn't,' the man added hastily. 'They seem peaceful, but I wouldn't want to provoke them.'

His friend, a Bosmer man, nodded. 'You know, I always thought it was odd that there's a layer of thick clouds covering the peak of the mountain, above the monastery. Not sure what's up there, but I bet the Greybeards know.'

Lorien thanked them, and they directed her to the Seven Thousand Steps.

* * *

'So... a Dragonborn appears, as this moment in the turning of the age.'

Lorien shut the door to High Hrothgar behind her and glanced around. The elderly man who had spoken was stood before her, dressed in dark robes, and with an appropriately grey beard. His eyes were fixed on Lorien.

Behind him were three more men. They wore the same robes, and stared just as diligently, but did not speak.

Lorien took a small step forwards. 'You call me Dragonborn, but please – tell me what it means.'

'First, let us see if it is truly what you are. Let us taste of your Voice,' the man said.

'What?'

'Do not be afraid. Your Shout will not harm us.'

'No, I... I don't know what you mean. I don't know how to Shout.'

'But you know one of the Words of Power,' the man told her. 'I sense it within you. _Fus_ ,' he murmured. It sounded familiar, but Lorien had no idea why. 'Concentrate all of your energy into that word, child.'

Lorien hesitated, then closed her eyes. She tried to draw the energy from inside her and project it outwards as she yelled the Word, and—she could _feel_ it rushing through her. The word leapt from her mouth without her even intending to say it.

The old man staggered backwards at the force of Lorien's Shout, and across the room pots flew into the walls. Lorien opened her mouth to apologise, but the man was smiling. 'Dragonborn. It is you. Welcome to High Hrothgar.' He moved closer to Lorien. 'I am Master Arngeir – I speak for the Greybeards. Now tell me, Dragonborn, why have you come here?'

Lorien took a moment to answer, still surprised by what had happened. 'I don't even know what being Dragonborn means,' she admitted. 'I've come to find out.'

'We are here to guide you in that pursuit, just as the Greybeards have sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood that came before you.'

'You summoned me here. Didn't you?'

'Indeed,' Arngeir nodded. 'We are honoured to welcome a Dragonborn to High Hrothgar. We will do our best to teach you how to use your gift in fulfilment of your destiny.'

'My destiny?'

'It is for you to discover. We can show you the Way, but not your destination. You have shown that you are Dragonborn – you have the inborn gift. But do you have the discipline and temperament to follow the path laid out for you? That remains to be seen.'

Lorien wasn't sure what to say. In the end, she settled on, 'I'll try my very best.'

'That is all we can ask of you,' Arngeir said, inclining his head. 'Without training, you have already taken the first steps towards projecting your Voice into a Thu'um – a Shout. Now, let us see if you are willing and able to learn. When you Shout, you speak in the language of dragons. Thus, your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power. All Shouts are made up of three Words of Power. As you master each Word, your Shout will become progressively stronger. Master Einarth will now teach you _Ro_ , the second Word of the unrelenting force Thu'um.' One of the other Greybeards approached Lorien and stood in the centre of the room as Arngeir spoke. ' _Ro_ means "balance" in the dragon tongue. Combine it with _Fus_ \- "force" - to focus your Thu'um more sharply.'

Master Einarth spoke. ' _Ro_ ,' he murmured, waving a hand over the floor before him.

Lorien stepped backwards and looked down, to find strange markings burnt into the stone floor. They were oddly familiar. She stared at the marks – no, the letters – and felt as though they were being burnt into her mind rather than the stone.

' _Ro_ ,' she breathed. It felt powerful.

'You learn a new word like a master,' Arngeir observed. 'You truly do have the gift. But learning a Word of Power is only the first step – you must unlock its meaning through practice in order to use it in a Shout.' He paused, clasping his hands. 'Well, that is how the rest of us learn Shouts. As Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon's life force and knowledge directly. As part of your initiation, Master Einarth will allow you to tap into his understanding of _Ro_.'

Lorien turned to face Einarth again. He bowed his head and pressed his hands together, then raised his hands and head slowly. Light spiralled out of him, and Lorien's eyes widened. It was almost exactly what she'd seen when she had, presumably, absorbed the dragon's soul.

The light surrounded and entered Lorien once more, and she breathed deeply. It didn't feel the same as the dragon's soul had.

'Now,' Arngeir said, interrupting her thoughts. 'Let us see how quickly you can master your new Thu'um.'

A third Greybeard approached. ' _Fiik... Lo Sah_!' he yelled, and a swirling dark cloud appeared in front of him. It took the form of a man, who began moving towards Lorien.

Instinctively, her hands itched to grab her bow, but she reached inward instead. _Take hold of that energy. Project it outwards. Turn it into something powerful._

The words appeared in her mind and were spoken in the same moment. ' _Fus... Ro_!'

The man disappeared, leaving only smoke behind, and the Greybeard who had Shouted was knocked backwards. Lorien started toward him to apologise, but Arngeir stopped her.

'Once more,' he said. 'Master Wulfgar will be fine.'

A different Greybread stepped forwards and used the same Shout. Once more, Lorien obliterated the phantom man with only words. The rush of power that seemed to flow through her was incredible.

'Impressive,' Arngeir told her. 'Your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise, Dragonborn. We will perform your next trial in the courtyard. Follow Master Borri.'

Master Borri turned out to be the last Greybeard who had Shouted. He began walking without warning, and Lorien followed close behind him, stepping over pieces of broken pots.

It was raining out in the courtyard, and Lorien had to squint to see Borri in his dark robes.

Arngeir was behind Lorien, and as soon as she was at a safe distance he turned his face up to the sky and Shouted. ' _Lok_!'

After only moments, the rain stopped and the clouds began to slowly clear. Lorien stared upwards, disbelieving.

'We will now see how you learn a completely new shout,' Arngeir said as though nothing had happened. 'Master Borri will teach to you Wuld, which means whirlwind.'

And so Lorien's training began.


	17. Killing Gets Easier, Whether You Want it to Or Not

Jarl Balgruuf chose not to inform his people of the new Dragonborn's name yet. Lorien was young, and undoubtedly overwhelmed – she didn't need everyone she spoke to realising what she truly was.

As it happened, though, Lorien rarely returned to civilisation. She spent almost all of her time with the Greybeards, learning everything she could. She spoke in the Dovah language whenever possible, and pored over any old texts of Arngeir's that she could find. When she was alone, she practised everything Farkas had begun teaching her, using a wooden practice sword.

The Greybeards were pleased with her progress, and even more pleased by her willingness to stay within High Hrothgar. They had feared that anyone who learned the way of the Voice – let alone the Dragonborn – would immediately wish to use their power. But Lorien was being patient for what felt like the first time in her life.

The only time Lorien disobeyed the Greybeards was when she ventured into the courtyard alone.

It was the first time she'd been there without one of the Greybeards accompanying her, and she knew exactly where she was headed – the stairs to nowhere. That's what Lorien had nicknamed them in her head. In reality, the stairs to nowhere were two flights of stone steps on the south-eastern edge of the courtyard, leading to seemingly not much. Lorien had asked Arngeir about them once, but he had only told her to stay away from them and not mention it again.

Lorien respected the Greybeards greatly, and she respected Arngeir's order for a long time. But he never seemed to answer her questions – only encouraged her to follow the Greybeards' example. She'd tried meditating, but it didn't do much for her. The stairs were far more interesting. Besides, she only wanted to look.

The wind grew louder as Lorien neared the top of the steps. It began to affect her speed, and by the time she reached the top it had almost caused her to fall several times. Lorien held an arm up to shield her eyes, and continued to step forwards.

The wind seemed to grab her, and hurled her against the wall of the archway that marked the stop of the stairs. Lorien cried out, pressed to the wall by an invisible force, and looked towards her goal. There was some kind of path beyond the archway – maybe. A thick mist clouded it, twisting in the unbelievable wind. She considered moving forwards – the path had to lead somewhere, after all – but a look at the short wall that would do nothing to prevent the wind from hurling her over the edge changed her mind. She shuffled back towards the steps and almost ran down them.

After that, Lorien never disobeyed the Greybeards again.

It paid off, too. After six months of studying, the Greybeards finally told Lorien about the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.

'Your quick mastery of Dovah words is astonishing, Lorien,' Arngeir told her. It had taken a while before he agreed to stop calling her _Dragonborn_.

'But it's been half a year. Is it harder for others?' Lorien asked.

'Very much so. Many never grasp the language, but you've taken to it naturally. I suppose we should have expected it.'

Lorien smiled. 'Is there anything else I should be learning?'

'There is one more trial for you,' Arngeir admitted. 'To retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller – our founder – from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav.'

'Is it dangerous?' Lorien asked. She was wondering why the Greybeards had waited so long to give her this trial.

'Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return.'

 _That doesn't answer my question._ Lorien nodded anyway. 'Who was Jurgen Windcaller?'

'He was a great war leader of the ancient Nords,' Arngeir told her, admiration clear in his face. 'A master of the Voice. After the disaster at Red Mountain, where the Nord army was annihilated, he spent many years pondering the meaning of that terrible defeat.

'He finally came to realise that the gods had punished the Nords, for their arrogant and blasphemous misuse of the Voice. He was the first to understand that the Voice should be used solely for the glory and worship of the gods – not the glory of men.

'Jurgen Windcaller's mastery of the Voice eventually overcame all opposition, and the Way of the Voice was born.'

Lorien blinked, surprised. She hadn't realised that using Shouts was so powerful as to invoke the punishment of gods.

'Sky guard you,' Arngeir murmured as she left him, and Lorien nodded distractedly. She made her way to her room to change. It was only when she opened her chest that she realised which set of armour she had at her disposal.

She lifted the leather garments out, staring. She hadn't seen this armour in six months. The last people she'd seen wearing it were Karliah and—

Lorien closed her eyes for a moment. It was just armour. She dressed quickly, trying her hardest not to wonder what was happening in the Guild right now.

* * *

'Brynjolf. It's good to see you again.'

Bryn turned on the spot, already reaching for his dagger. When he saw who had spoken, he drew it.

The wind was blowing Karliah's hair into her face, but it was definitely her. She sighed and held up her hands. In one of them, she was clasping a worn book. 'Please, Brynjolf. I'm not going to hurt you.'

'I know,' Bryn said. 'It's going to be the other way around.'

'Mercer has been lying to you!' Karliah told him before he could move any closer. 'I have proof.' She held out the book. 'Proof that all of you have been misled.'

Bryn grabbed the book, but didn't stop staring at Karliah. 'You're a murderer. You killed Gallus and Lorien.'

'I knew he'd tell you that,' Karliah muttered. 'Lorien was stabbed by Mercer, who then left her to die. I tried my best to heal her—'

'Aren't you tired of lying, Karliah? We all know what you are. What's the point?'

'I'm telling you, Mercer is the one lying. Read the journal, Brynjolf. It's Gallus' journal.'

Bryn hesitated, glancing at the book. 'If you move, I will stab you. Journal or not.'

'You've changed so much, Bryn.'

'Don't call me that.'

'You were only a boy, really. When I was here. How old were you? Fifteen years?'

'Sixteen.'

'Still. Young. It was easy for Mercer to mislead you all. But I'm telling you the truth.'

Bryn opened the journal and began reading. Karliah watched his frown deepen, knowing he believed what was written there before he spoke.

'It can't be,' Bryn said even so. 'This can't be true. I've known Mercer for too long.'

'All of it is true. Every last word. Mercer has been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses.'

Bryn looked up at her. 'I think you should come inside.'

Karliah nodded, relief flooding through her. She'd worried that Brynjolf would be one of the most difficult people to convince – he could be so stubborn, after all.

He walked behind Karliah to the Guild, and she knew his hand would be on his dagger. Well. She hadn't exactly hoped to be welcomed back with open arms.

'Lorien survived,' she told Bryn, after a minute of silence between them.

He didn't speak for a few seconds. Then, 'She's still alive?'

'I'm not sure about that. I'm not the best healer, Brynjolf, and she was alone—'

'You left her on her own?'

'I had no choice. I needed to translate the journal. But there's a chance that she's still alive.'

'What, the journal couldn't wait one day? You couldn't be bothered to just make sure she was alright?'

'I—'

'She'd just been _stabbed_. She was probably terrified, and you left her on her own.'

'I did. I'm sorry, Brynjolf. But like I said, she may have survived.'

'She would have come back,' Bryn said after a few seconds. 'Or at least written to us. It's been seven months.'

'Not if she thought there was any chance Mercer was still around,' Karliah pointed out. 'He did try to kill her. And nearly succeeded.'

'I still haven't decided whether I believe that or not.'

'A missing member is the least of your worries right now. Mercer has been lying and stealing from you for years, and you're angry that I chose to go after him rather than stay with Lorien?'

Bryn thought about this. 'I'm angry that my friend is most likely dead, despite the fact that she could have been saved.' He followed Karliah into the Ragged Flagon. 'Time to prove to everyone that you're telling the truth – before one of them attacks you.'

* * *

The first thing Lorien encountered at Ustengrav was a dead man, sprawled on the stone floor just outside the entrance. _That bodes well._ She stared at the body for what felt like a long time – particularly the blood that still stained his armour. So much blood. She remembered the feel of her own blood, slick on her hands—

Lorien clenched her fists for a second, then knelt down and quickly checked the man's pockets. A few coins and a lockpick. Not bad.

Another dead bandit lay in wait just a few steps into the tomb. He was flat on his stomach. Lorien found a little more gold on him, but quickly withdrew her hand from his knapsack when it came into contact with an apple pie.

When she looked up from the body, she spotted two people moving at the other end of the large room.

'These thralls of yours are slower than Argonians in a blizzard,' a man drawled.

The other was a woman. 'Feel free to grab a pick and help them out,' she said. 'I prefer not to sully myself with manual labour.' The woman turned her head slightly, towards Lorien, who already had her bow drawn. Within another second she had let an arrow fly.

The woman slumped to the ground, and the man jumped away from her. After a moment of shock, he began to move towards Lorien with fire blossoming in one hand. Lorien grasped for another arrow and notched it to her bow.

The man didn't hesitate any longer before unleashing a blast of fire in Lorien's direction, which she dodged, but stumbled as she did so. Her arrow hit the man's leg. He cried out and fell, the flame sputtering and dying in his hand.

Lorien edged closer to the man, who was groaning. Good. They were necromancers, Lorien was sure of it. They deserved nothing less than this.

'Who in Oblivion are you?' the man said through his teeth.

Lorien knelt down. 'I'm the person who's about to kill you.' She drew the dagger from her boot and plunged it into the man's chest. Then she withdrew it, stood, and walked away.

Part of her had hoped that killing would get easier. Part of her had been terrified of that. Either way, it had undeniably happened.

There was a collection of barrels and boxes in the corner, and Lorien carefully opened every one of them just in case. There wasn't anything very useful inside, but nearby was a healing potion, a skull that Lorien tried not to question too much, and a chest.

Lorien knelt by it, almost hoping it was locked, but it opened easily. Inside were twelve Septims, a small purple stone that she didn't recognise, another health potion, some clothes and a yellow book. Lorien pocketed the money and the potion, then picked up the book. There was a symbol on the front that resembled some kind of bird.

A noise from the nearby hallway brought Lorien back to reality, and she slid the small book into the satchel on her belt. The hallway was more of a tunnel at first, but soon widened and led her down some blood-splattered steps.

'Is someone there?' a voice called as Lorien neared a corner. She immediately flattened herself against the wall and listened for movement. The same voice cried out in pain a few moments later – then there were words in a language Lorien didn't recognise, and a guttural scream as the owner of the first voice was killed.

Great. Lorien had hoped the fight would last a little longer, and that whatever was in the next room would be considerable weakened before she had to face it.

There turned out to be three draugr in the room. Lorien peered around the corner to see them. All of their bones were clearly visible through the greyish skin stretched tightly between them. The smell, too, was of something dead, and Lorien couldn't deny that it suited these creatures. They looked like corpses, walking corpses, dressed up in armour for some dark joke.

Lorien was finding it hard to see the funny side. There was only one of her and three draugr, and each one was armed with a large, jagged sword. She returned to her spot against the wall and silently notched an arrow to her bow. She couldn't waste a single shot.

None of the draugr noticed when she peered around the corner again. None of them noticed the loaded bow, or its arrow aimed into the room they occupied. Lorien stared at the nearest draugr, and was about to release the arrow when a stone fell to the floor in the opposite corner.

Lorien jumped, almost shooting by mistake. The draugr reacted too, each of them turning and moving towards the place where the stone had fallen.

Watching them, Lorien raised her bow again. All of the draugr were in one corner, their backs to her. She took out one of them within the next second, and before the other two had managed to turn around a second was dead. The third began moving towards Lorien with surprising speed.

She fumbled. It had spotted her now, and it was close, too close—

Lorien jerked her bow upwards and shot the draugr square in the chest just as it drew back its sword to attack. It stumbled and fell backwards.

Lorien retrieved the arrows she could, then grabbed the two health potions stowed in a nearby alcove. The floor of the next room was covered in bones. Lorien looked at them and sighed. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing that she was becoming desensitised to things like this.

The next corridor was blissfully empty, but it led to a large room that Lorien didn't like the look of. Sure enough, almost as soon as she entered there was a loud clattering as an upright coffin fell open. Another draugr emerged. The noise had clearly woken others, too – two more were beginning to advance.

Lorien was ready. She stood in full view of the draugr and watched, waiting—there, they were almost in line. Then she took a deep breath.

' _FUS RO DA_!'

Every draugr was thrown backwards, off their feet. They collided with one another and fell to the floor. Lorien smiled, taken aback by the success of her shout. It was only when the draugr moved to stand again that she readied her bow and fired.

The first was taken down by an arrow to the head. The second she hit in the leg, and it fell once more. The third took two arrows – one of them missed and hit its shoulder. The second found its mark in the draugr's chest.

Lorien glanced around the rest of the room, her bow still in her hands, but nothing moved. She used her dagger to finish off the draugr she'd hit in the leg, then continued up the stairs. There was another chest, more potions, and eventually she found an iron door with a purse of coins beside it. She picked the money up, then pushed the door open.

It was colder beyond the door, and Lorien soon realised why. Just ahead of her was a tattered red cloth tangled in the nearby vines, and it was being blown back and forth by a draft that had somehow found its way into the caves. Lorien peered through the vines, but whatever was down there was obscured by mist. She thought she could make out a large tree – that was about it.

Lorien turned away and continued walking. It was too quiet. She felt more alone than she had in a long time. There had always been someone – the Thieves Guild, then the Companions for a little while, then the Greybeards – but in a place like this, she was completely alone. It would be nice to have someone with her, or just to see another living creature that didn't want to kill her.

Lorien reached the bottom of the stone steps she'd been walking down, then stopped. She'd heard something, definitely—yes, there was another of the draugr. Not having time to draw her bow, Lorien grabbed her dagger instead. It was only just enough to block the draugr's sword.

' _Fus_!' Lorien yelled, and it stumbled backwards. Lorien took the opportunity to kick out at its stomach, knocking it to the ground. Then she fell onto one knee, pressing it hard against the draugr's chest, and stabbed it in the eye.

It promptly dropped its weapon and went limp. Lorien glanced at the sword, then at her dagger. Maybe she could do with a slightly larger weapon.

Before she could consider it any further, there was another noise and she jumped to her feet. A draugr lurched out from behind one of the nearby stone pillars. Lorien reached for an arrow and managed to get hold of one, but as she drew her bow the draugr swung its axe towards her arm.

Lorien cried out and jumped back. The axe only caught the side of her arm, but the pain was quickly building. The draugr moved towards her again, and Lorien abandoned the bow and surged forwards to meet her assailant.

It raised its axe, and Lorien raised the arrow still clenched in her fist. She thrust it hard into the draugr's neck, then yanked it out.

The draugr fell to the floor. Lorien replaced her arrow in her quiver. Then she returned to the first fallen draugr and retrieved her dagger and bow.

The draugr were gradually becoming less scary. As Lorien continued to make her way through the caves, she came across many more. Most she distracted with an arrow aimed at the other side of the room, then picked off one by one. They weren't the smartest foes, that much was certain.

Eventually she made it to the enormous cavern she'd glimpsed through the vines. It was shortly after entering this cavern and crossing one of the stone bridges within it that Lorien got to use the newest Shout she'd learnt.

She came across three large stones embedded in the ground, each with a symbol engraved on it. As she passed each one, the symbol began to glow a deep red, illuminating the surrounding area in the dim room. As each one lit up, one of the iron gates ahead of Lorien scraped upwards until the corridor was clear.

Lorien moved towards it, but just as she reached the entrance the first gate fell again, blocking her path. She stepped back, surprised, then glanced back at the stones. The red lights had gone out. She moved towards them again, and when she was near enough the symbols glowed. Behind her she heard the gates scrape open.

She moved away from the stones again. After a moment or so, the gates closed. Lorien sighed. This felt like a puzzle, but how could she be fast enough to get through the gates in time?

After a second, she smiled. The Greybeards had wanted her to come here to prove that she really was Dragonborn. Of course she'd need to do what only the Dragonborn could – use her Shouts.

Lorien returned to the stones, watching as each one lit up. When every gate was open, she got as close as she could without the lights going out and took a deep breath.

' _Wuld_!' she yelled, and almost before the word was fully spoken she was propelled forwards.


	18. Wow, Mercer is Just Such a Bad Guy

When Bryn brought Karliah into the Guildhall, there was silence. Then the sound of a dagger being unsheathed.

'Brynjolf,' Vex yelled. 'You'd better have a damn good reason to be here with that murderer!'

Karliah spoke before Bryn could. 'He does. I've brought proof that Mercer was lying to you.'

Bryn led Karliah to the middle of the bridge, so everyone could see her. 'No tricks,' he warned her. 'Or I'll cut you down where you stand. Vex, Delvin – come here.'

Vex reluctantly sheathed her dagger, and she and Delvin approached Karliah.

Delvin glared. 'What's this proof, then?'

Bryn handed him the journal, watching Delvin's face as he read. When he was done, he handed it wordlessly to Vex.

'It's true,' Karliah said quietly. Vex looked up from the book. 'Every word. Mercer has been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses. Gallus was looking into it before he was murdered – _not_ by me,' she added.

'There's only one way to find out if this is true,' Bryn pointed out. 'Delvin – I'll need you to open the vault.'

'How could Mercer have opened a vault that needs two keys?' Delvin protested. 'It's impossible. Could he pick his way in?'

Vex shook her head defiantly. 'That door has the best puzzle locks money can buy. There's no way it can be picked open.'

'Use your key on the vault, Delvin,' Bryn interrupted. 'We'll open it up and find out the truth.'

Delvin glanced at Karliah, then sighed and moved towards the vault. He shoved his key into the lock and turned it. There was a click, but Delvin assured Bryn it was still locked up tighter than a drum. 'Now use yours,' he said.

Bryn nodded and left Karliah with Vex, then walked to the door of the vault. He looked at the key in his hand, then the door. He wasn't sure what he wanted to find on the other side.

Nevertheless, he turned the key in the lock and pushed the doors open. The vault was empty.

'By the Eight,' Bryn murmured involuntarily. 'It's gone. Everything's gone.'

Many members of the Guild joined Bryn at the entrance to the vault, though there was nothing to see inside that distinguished it from a normal room. It was still full of chests, but every one of them was gaping open and contained nothing but cobwebs.

Delvin's mouth dropped open as he entered. 'The gold... the jewels... it's all gone!'

Vex dragged Karliah with her to the vault, then cried out in anger. 'That son of a bitch!' She drew her dagger again. 'I'll kill him!'

Bryn turned. 'Vex. Put it away, now. We can't afford to lose our heads. We need to calm down and focus.'

'Do what he says, Vex,' Delvin sighed. 'This ain't helping right now.'

Vex glared at them both, but sheathed her weapon. 'Fine. What _are_ we gonna do?'

Karliah shrugged. 'Isn't it obvious?' she said quietly. 'We're going to track Mercer down.'

'Who's we?' Rune asked.

'Me. I was going to talk to Lorien, as she saw him last, but—'

'But Mercer killed her?'

Karliah shook her head. 'He tried, and I tried to heal her. I don't know if she survived, though.'

Rune looked over at Bryn. 'We could try to find her.'

'I think she was headed for Whiterun,' Karliah told them.

Bryn exchanged glances with Rune, then turned to Karliah. 'You won't like this,' he said. 'But it's what we're going to do. The Guild will help you track down Mercer. But first, we're going to track down Lorien.'

* * *

Lorien pulled cobwebs off her leather armour as she finally reached the last room in Ustengrav. She'd just encountered frostbite spiders for the first time, and she'd disliked them greatly. There had been three of them, each one seemingly more enormous than the last... but she'd made it through.

And now, here she was. The room was massive, with a pool of glassy water either side of the central bridge. As Lorien approached this bridge, the ground almost seemed to shake.

Either side of her, the water began to ripple. The motion grew in intensity until finally two massive stone shapes broke through the surface, one on each side of the bridge. Lorien stared as they rose from the water, followed shortly afterwards by two smaller shapes at the other end of the bridge.

It felt like giant stone arms were reaching out of the water. Lorien wasn't sure how to interpret it, but it was quite something.

She walked slowly along the bridge to the engraved stone casket at the end. It was surrounded by candles and urns, and out of the top reached a stone arm. Within it was a note.

Lorien took it, half expecting a trapdoor to open underneath her when she did. Nothing happened, so Lorien unfolded the note and read it.

 _Dragonborn,_ it read,

_I need to speak to you. Urgently._

_Rent the attic room at the inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you._

_— a friend_

Lorien stared at the note for a few seconds longer, then pocketed it. There was a door behind the stone coffin, and she walked distractedly towards it.

The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller was missing, then. Someone had come here before Lorien and taken it. How had they done it? The Horn was intended for the Dragonborn, wasn't it?

Lorien opened the door and immediately spotted a large chest opposite. Well, at least this whole thing wasn't for nothing. She opened the chest to find a steel shield, a ring, a gem and a large purse of gold. There had to be almost one hundred coins in there. Lorien took the purse and gathered the Septims that littered the stone floor too, adding them to the pouch. She grabbed the shield too and strapped it to her arm, reasoning that she could sell it if she didn't use it.

A tunnel led up and to the left, so Lorien followed it for a couple of minutes until she came to an engraved iron door. It opened into another tunnel. This one seemed to come to a dead-end, but Lorien pulled the lever on the wall to her right and the stone ahead of her scraped downwards, revealing another room. It was full of urns, but there was a chest to one side too. It contained some more coins, a couple of potions and a steel sword.

Lorien pulled out the sword. It was small – a one-handed weapon that fit well in her hand. She tested the weight of it.

Her father had given her a wooden sword to practise with when she was younger, and eventually upgraded her to something more like the weapon she was holding now. Smaller, though. When they started hunting, he'd taken it and given Lorien her bow instead. It had worked – Lorien was brilliant with a bow now. But she had missed her sword a little.

Paired with the shield she'd found, this new one wasn't bad. It was very similar to the one Farkas had trained her with, despite wanting to give her a larger weapon.

Lorien managed to find a few more potions in the room, then remembered her injured arm and took one of the healing potions to help stop the pain. Luckily it wasn't too deep a cut.

From there, it wasn't long before Lorien was out of Ustengrav. She blinked in the sudden brightness and took a deep breath – it was nice to be outside again.

The note from 'a friend' was still in Lorien's hand. She reread it and wondered what to do next.

On the one hand, she could do as the note said and go to Riverwood straight away. That would hopefully get her the Horn, and the Greybeards would be happy with her. But maybe she should ask them first –this whole thing could easily be a trap. Why someone would want to get rid of the Dragonborn, Lorien wasn't sure. But then again, she wasn't sure about much to do with being the Dragonborn. The Greybeards would know what to do.

But, they'd said this was her last trial – that it would prove Lorien truly was the next Dragonborn. If she returned empty-handed, they'd be disappointed. Maybe they'd even begin to doubt her. Maybe this was a test by them, to see what she would do next. Or maybe this note was what you found if you weren't the true Dragonborn, instead of the Horn.

The words on the note had begun to blur together. Lorien pressed her free hand against her forehead as if to quieten her whirling doubts, then sighed. Both Riverwood and High Hrothgar were a long way from where she was now – somewhere near Solitude. She'd have plenty of time to think about what to do on her way back.

* * *

'How many times do I have to say it, Rune? We're not speaking to the Companions,' Bryn insisted as he and Rune entered the Bannered Mare.

'But surely they're the most likely to know,' Rune argued. 'We're asking at the inn now, and we've already been to most of the shops. Where else is there to go?'

'How about Dragonsreach?' Bryn suggested sarcastically.

'I know you don't like the Companions, Bryn, but surely just this once you can swallow your pride.'

'It's not about pride.' He didn't provide an explanation of what it was about.

Rune didn't care. 'You know, I think you're just scared to ask. That's why you didn't want to come here, either – you don't want to know the answer.'

'It doesn't change anything,' Bryn said. 'Either she's dead or she isn't.'

'But we need to find out. It took us long enough to get here – we should make the most of it.'

'What do you suggest?' Bryn asked, exasperated. 'Taking in the sights? Having a tour of the castle?'

Rune shrugged. 'I _suggest_ asking the innkeeper.'

At that, Hulda raised an eyebrow and leaned on the counter. 'If you're looking for the innkeeper, you'd best stop arguing with each other and talk to me.'

Rune smiled triumphantly and took a seat at the bar. 'We just wanted to know if you'd seen our friend here recently.'

'Questioning me without even buying a drink?' Hulda said. 'You must be pretty desperate to know.'

Bryn and Rune exchanged glances. 'I could do with a drink,' Bryn shrugged. He set some money down on the counter.

'I'm sorry,' Rune added. 'We really are worried about our friend.'

Hulda smiled. 'Well, I know most everybody in Whiterun. What's your friend's name?' She turned away to get Bryn his drink.

'It's Lorien,' Bryn told her.

Hulda paused, looking into the empty tankard for a few seconds.

'She's a Redguard,' Rune added helpfully. 'Curly hair. Probably dressed in armour like ours?'

Hulda turned around and set the now-full tankard down in front of Bryn. 'I know Lorien,' she said. 'But I haven't seen her recently.'

'You know her?' Bryn echoed.

'Well, I used to – a long time ago. She came here almost as soon as she arrived in Skyrim, actually.'

Bryn hesitated. Then, 'What was she like?'

'Scared,' Hulda said, laughing a little. 'Small and scared. She walked in here like it was a cave full of bears. Wouldn't even look up for a while – she kept staring at her feet. She had bare feet, I remember, and clothes about as simple as can be. Ripped up, too. And a sack with everything she owned in it.'

'Why did she come here?'

'Didn't seem like she had anywhere else to go,' Hulda shrugged. 'She paid for a room, bandaged her feet up and had some food the next morning. Came back in the evening to ask for some work here, which I gave her for about a month. She ran all over Whiterun in that time. Delivering letters and such. Eventually I had to let her go. Did she—Was she alright?'

Bryn nodded after a moment. 'She made it to Riften and found work there. You're sure you haven't seen her recently?'

Hulda frowned. 'I wasn't going to tell you, because I didn't see any reason you should know, but you do seem to care about the girl. She was staying with the Companions for a while. Not long ago. I overheard Farkas talking about her – he'd wanted her to come here, but she wouldn't leave Jorvasskr. Didn't for around a month, as far as I know.'

'Thank you,' Rune smiled. Bryn nodded and finished his drink.

'Just tell her I wish her all the best, if you find her,' Hulda called after them. 'She's welcome back here anytime.'

Once Bryn and Rune were outside again, Rune smiled widely. 'She made it to Whiterun, Bryn. And the Companions looked after her. She must be alive.'

Bryn nodded slowly. 'I suppose we'd better ask them.'

When they reached Jorvasskr, however, Rune didn't even have time to knock on the door before someone else opened it. A young red-haired woman. She raised an eyebrow at Bryn and Rune before leaning on the doorframe.

'Welcome to Jorvasskr,' she said. 'I'm Aela. What do you want?'

Rune blinked once, but was otherwise seemingly unaffected by the woman's bluntness. He smiled. 'We're looking for someone who was staying here recently. Her name is Lorien.'

Aela frowned slightly, then shook her head. 'I don't know a Lorien.'

'Hulda already told us she was here,' Bryn sighed. 'So you must have known her.'

A pause. Then, reluctantly, 'For about a month, yeah. Is that all you wanted to hear?'

'No,' Rune interjected. 'We need to know everything you can tell us. We thought she was dead.'

'She wasn't far off. When she arrived here it was the middle of the night, and she'd been walking for hours on end. She was bleeding, but I don't think she even knew it.'

'She was wounded, then?' Bryn asked.

Aela scoffed. 'Yeah, she was wounded. Considerably. Someone patched her up, but it wasn't done well. We had to bring one of the healers here. Look, I don't know who told you she was dead, but they were wrong. If you want to know more, talk to Farkas. He was always with her.'

'Can you get him for us?' Rune asked.

After considering it for a moment, the woman sighed. 'Fine. Wait here.'

She left, and a couple of minutes later the Companion Lorien had met in Riften took her place. He recognised them immediately.

' _You're_ the people who wanted to speak to me?' he asked. 'Forget it.'

'Farkas, wait,' Bryn said. 'I know you dislike us, but we have to know why Lorien came here.'

'She came here because she had nowhere else to go,' Farkas told him. 'That's what she said to me, anyway.'

'Did she tell you anything about what had happened beforehand?'

'I told you to forget it. I'm not about to place any trust in thieves.'

Rune interjected. 'Lorien trusted us.'

'And it was a mistake,' Farkas said, almost laughing. 'She said as much herself.'

'What?'

'She said I was right about you thieves, and that your leader betrayed her. He attacked and robbed her. I'm not sure why she expected anything else.' He paused, distracted. 'To be honest... That's all she would tell me. She didn't talk much at all. She was alright here for a while, but never acted like she intended to stay.'

'She left, then?'

Farkas looked at Bryn for a moment. Part of him wanted to tell the thief that Lorien was alright, if only to get rid of him. After all, they couldn't get to her now. She was about as safe as could be with the Greybeards, even if these thieves went after her.

Then again, the last thing Lorien needed now was a reminder of the Thieves Guild, surely. She was training to be the Dragonborn, and Farkas wouldn't be the one to put her in any danger.

'She went home,' he shrugged.

Bryn frowned, not understanding. 'Home?'

'Back to Cyrodiil. Skyrim was too harsh for her, I think. After what happened, she probably wanted to be somewhere familiar.'

'Cyrodiil wasn't her home.'

'I don't know what to tell you, thief. She didn't feel safe here. Where else could she go?'

Bryn hesitated. He didn't have an answer to that. When he didn't say anything, Rune thanked Farkas, who turned and re-entered Jorvasskr without saying anything else.

'She's alive,' Rune said as he and Bryn turned away from Jorvasskr.

'But we can't talk to her,' Bryn reminded him. 'She's the only person who could know what Mercer is planning.'

'That was a long shot anyway, Bryn. At least we don't have to wonder anymore. Hopefully she'll be happy where she is.' Rune elbowed his friend. 'We'll go back to the Guild tomorrow morning, alright?'

'Karliah will be angry that we wasted time here.'

'We needed to know. Besides, it's only a few days. What's the worst that could happen?'

Bryn gave Rune a sideways look in response.


	19. See a Dragon? Jump On It

Lorien had eventually decided to go directly to Riverwood. She felt equipped enough to protect herself if the mysterious note turned out to be part of some ambush, and she planned to visit Alvor too for a little while. Maybe it wasn't what they Greybeards would've liked her to do, but she'd followed every suggestion of theirs for a few months now. This felt like the first decision she'd been able to make for a long time.

She was walking there from Whiterun, where she'd been brought by carriage. It was a nice morning, and a short and familiar walk – Lorien vividly remembered seeing all of this in reverse when Sven had first brought her to Whiterun. That felt like another lifetime now. In reality, it had been about two years ago.

Lorien had just begun following a bend in the road when she heard two noises at once. The first was a horse and cart coming from a little way behind her on the road. The second was a roaring sound from above her.

Lorien stopped in her tracks and looked up, searching the sky for the source of the noise, although she already knew what it would be. She was half aware of the sound of the carriage growing louder, but she couldn't see it. Someone was shouting.

Then came the burst of fire, and the dragon appeared over Bleak Falls Barrow. Bryn, who had been leaning on the side of the carriage both he and Rune were in, was abruptly snapped out of his boredom. The driver was shouting something about a dragon, and when Bryn looked up he could see it too.

Lorien could feel the heat from where she stood, could feel the air moving around her as the dragon beat its wings. She pulled her hood up and thanked the gods that she was still well-armed. There was no running away from this – not when Riverwood was so nearby, and whoever was in that carriage would be killed if she didn't do something about it. And she could. It was what she'd been born to do, if everyone else was to be believed.

The carriage swerved wildly, then came to a halt. Bryn and Rune almost lurched out of their seats.

'What do we do?' Rune yelled.

Bryn had drawn his dagger – it was all he had on him. 'Pray for a miracle?' he suggested.

The dragon flew over Lorien and towards Whiterun, landing near Honningbrew Meadery. When Lorien rounded the bend, she saw the carriage had stopped. Unfortunately, it now seemed to be the dragon's target.

She began running without thinking about it. There was a rocky outcrop nearby – one of the larger rocks almost formed a ramp. If she could get above the dragon while it was on the ground, it might not see her coming.

In her head, Lorien reminded herself of everything she'd learnt about dragons. Their weak spots (if they could be called weak) – the underbelly, the neck, the head if you dared get close enough to it. If you could damage the wings enough, it might keep the dragon grounded and make it an easier target. Their attacks – they could bite you, breathe fire (or ice), crush you, hit you with their tail or wings... the list went on. However, not many of those attacks would be effective on a target above the dragon.

At least, that's what Lorien told herself as she leapt onto the largest rock and began running up it.

As soon as the dragon landed, the horse that had been pulling Bryn and Rune's carriage frantically freed itself and fled. In doing so, however, it also pulled the cart onto its side.

Bryn nearly stabbed himself in the thigh with his dagger, but in the end was unscathed. Rune, however, had landed awkwardly on his right arm and was still on the ground.

Bryn looked up from where he had fallen just in time to see the carriage driver – who had been trying to escape – being enveloped in a burst of fire. His eyes widened and he hurried to Rune's side to help him up.

The two of them glanced around them for somewhere to hide, but it seemed as though any prayers for a miracle were to remain unanswered. Until a small figure appeared atop the nearby rocks.

They were sprinting, a sword in hand. Bryn pointed, then realised that Rune was already watching as the figure launched themselves off the end of the rock. They swung the sword over their head as they fell. The dragon didn't have time to look up before the attacker landed on its back, plunging the sword into the side of its neck.

The now-wounded dragon emitted a louder roar than ever, rearing its head in a desperate attempt to reach its attacker. Lorien swayed unsteadily, but gripped the hilt of her sword to stay in place. When the dragon stopped for a moment, she wrenched the sword out of its neck to the sound of another roar.

Before the dragon could begin moving again, Lorien jumped. She collided with the ground near the dragon's right front leg, and quickly scrambled upwards. She had to get in front of it.

The dragon saw her coming and reared its head to grab her in its jaws. At the last second, however, Lorien thrust her sword in front of her and yelled, ' _WULD_!'

The Shout propelled her forwards and her sword connected with the dragon's chest. The entire blade was buried within it, to the point where blood splattered over Lorien's arm. The dragon's rearing head slumped, and Lorien quickly flattened herself against the ground to avoid being crushed by its neck. When she was sure that there was no more danger, she reached for her sword and pulled it out of the dragon's chest. Then she wriggled out from underneath it and stood up.

Slowly, Bryn and Rune returned to the path their carriage had been following. In front of them was the slain dragon, and the person who had killed it. She was facing away from them, her hood up, but Rune frowned.

'That armour,' he murmured to Bryn. 'Isn't it—'

The figure turned before Rune could say anything else, pushing her hood back with the hand that didn't have a sword dangling from it. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw who it was that she'd saved.

'Lorien?' Bryn said disbelievingly.

She immediately gripped her sword more tightly and pointed it at Bryn before he could move any closer. 'What are you doing here?' she asked them.

'We were looking for you. Farkas told us you—'

'Why?' Lorien interrupted. 'Why would you be looking for me?'

'Because Karliah came back,' Rune explained gently. 'She told us everything. As soon as we knew there was a chance you were still alive, we came to look for you.'

Lorien moved the sword slightly so it was directed at Rune. 'What, to finish the job?'

Bryn shook his head insistently. 'We had no idea what Mercer was planning, lass. We all trusted him completely. But he's still out there, and we need your help to find him.'

Lorien's sword wavered a little. 'Are you asking me to go after Mercer?'

Rune interjected before Bryn could say anything else. 'No, of course not. We wouldn't expect you to do that. But you were the last person to speak to Mercer properly – we thought you might know something. Anything.'

'I don't,' Lorien said. 'He didn't exactly stop to tell me his plans before he tried to kill me.'

No one said anything for a few seconds. Then Bryn cleared his throat. 'Would you come back to the Guild with us? Not for long. Just to talk for a while.'

Lorien thought about it. She wasn't sure if she did want to go back to the Guild. She was scared that it would be different now – that she would feel unsafe there. That it wouldn't be like home anymore. She looked at Bryn, who was waiting for an answer, and she could see the uncertainty in his face. It reminded her of when he'd first asked her to join the Guild.

'I'll come,' she said.

* * *

When Lorien, Bryn and Rune finally made it back to the Guildhall, it was late at night. Rune fell into bed almost immediately, with the promise that he'd be up early to talk things through with Karliah and everyone else. Lorien couldn't help but smile at the unlikeliness of that happening.

She was left alone with Bryn, who didn't seem to have any intention of sleeping yet. He looked around the Guildhall as if there could be something there he hadn't noticed after all his years as a thief. Then he looked at Lorien.

'What's it like being back?' he asked quietly.

Lorien chewed her thumbnail, then shrugged. 'Right now, it just feels... familiar.'

'That reminds me – Farkas tried to tell us that you'd gone back to Cyrodiil after... what happened. I think he was trying to protect you.'

Lorien looked up then. 'Bryn, that's what I asked him to tell you if you came looking for me. Mercer said something, before he—' She faltered. 'He made me think you might have been involved. In the whole plan. And I couldn't write, or come back here, if there was any chance that you were.'

'I would never do that, lass. I can't believe you thought—'

'I didn't want to believe it. But there was a chance. That was enough. I was terrified, Bryn. I—'

'It's alright. I didn't mean it like that.' Bryn ran a hand through his hair. 'I just want you to know that I wouldn't do that.'

Lorien looked at him for a moment, then smiled slightly. 'So, was the fact that I might have information on Mercer the only reason you came to look for me?'

Bryn frowned, then realised she was joking and smiled in return. 'Losing recruits is awfully inconvenient, you know. I just—'

He was cut off by Lorien throwing her arms around him and hugging him harder than he would have thought possible.

'Thank you for coming,' she mumbled.

'You've gotten stronger, lass,' Bryn observed as he hugged Lorien back. 'I also... have several questions about the dragon incident.'

Lorien stepped back, her eyes wide. 'I still can't believe that happened.'

Bryn quickly shushed her. 'People are sleeping, remember. Come with me.' He led her to the room allocated to the Guild's second-in-command – the same room Lorien had used all that time ago to first change into her Guild armour. They sat on the bed for half the night talking about everything the other had missed. Bryn listened disbelievingly to Lorien's news that she was supposedly the next Dragonborn, and in return told her the story he'd intended to on the day Mercer returned – of stealing a circlet right off a man's head. Lorien listened with such rapture that you would have thought both stories were equally awe-inspiring.

'You really shouldn't look so surprised, lass,' Bryn sighed as he lay down on the bed. 'I am a brilliant thief, after all.'

Lorien laughed. 'I'm glad to see that your confidence hasn't decreased at all since we last saw each other.'

Bryn looked up at Lorien. 'It's been... a while. Hasn't it?'

'It definitely has. Over half a year. I...' Lorien sighed and lay down too, her hands on her stomach. 'I missed you. The Guild, I mean. You... thieves.'

There was no reply, and Lorien looked over at Bryn to find that he was laughing at her. 'Us thieves. Is that what we've been reduced to in your memory?'

Lorien elbowed him. 'You know what I was trying to say.'

'Not sure that I do, lass. You might have to make it clearer for me.'

'I missed you. Alright? You dirty thief.'

'I'm at least a better thief than you.' Bryn turned to look at Lorien. 'Remember earlier? When you asked if I only came to look for you for 'information'.'

'I remember,' Lorien said quietly.

Bryn paused. 'I came because I missed you, too. The information was a good excuse.'

Lorien turned to look at Bryn when he said that. 'That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me, you know! You must be very tired.'

'Tired?' Bryn laughed, then promptly yawned. 'Maybe a little. It's been quite a day.'

'It has,' Lorien agreed, closing her eyes for a moment. 'It's nice to be back here. I probably can't stay long, though.'

'Why not?'

'The Greybeards will be worried. Well, maybe not worried, but they'll wonder why I'm not back with the Horn.'

'You can go back tomorrow.'

_Will I, though? Now that I have this again?_

'Or you could write to them.'

Lorien opened her eyes and glanced over at Bryn. 'You think?'

Bryn shrugged. 'Why not? Send them the note you got and ask what they think you should do. You can always stay here while you wait for a response. It's convenient, after all.'

'That's the only reason I would stay, of course.'

'Of course.'

Lorien closed her eyes again and smiled at the ceiling. 'I'll think about it. I have been with them for a long time...'

'So have some fun for a while,' Bryn said sleepily. 'You're young.'

'You're not much older than me, Bryn.'

He was quiet for a minute. 'I still can't believe you took down that dragon. Alone.'

Lorien sat up quickly. 'Me neither!' she said to the empty room. Then she looked down at Bryn. 'You'd better help me out next time.'

'I never thought I'd even see a dragon,' Bryn murmured, his eyes still closed. 'I was in shock.'

'And by that you mean you were terrified?'

Bryn laughed a little. 'I'll let you decide that for yourself. I need to get some... sleep.'

'You do sound tired,' Lorien yawned, lying down again. 'I wonder if my bed is still free.'

'It's not,' Bryn mumbled. 'Thrynn took it.'

'Oh.' Lorien was slightly surprised that Bryn had noticed that. She closed her eyes and sighed.

She really had missed Bryn – more than she'd expected to, if she was honest. Well. If she was being completely honest, she had to acknowledge the quiet thrill that being this close to him had brought on, and how tempted she was to close the short distance between their hands, and how she'd actually thought of him far too much since leaving. Lorien sighed into the darkness. Should she say something? Should she ask if he'd met someone while she was gone? Oh gods – she hadn't even considered that possibility.

Lorien turned onto her side. 'Bryn?'

He didn't reply. Lorien smiled when she realised – he'd fallen asleep.

* * *

'How's the arm?' Lorien asked Rune when she saw him the next morning.

He smiled and waved it around a little. 'Good, don't worry. Thank you for healing it up yesterday.'

'Of course. I'm sorry you got hurt.'

'Oh, it was worth it to see a dragon, Lori. I suppose you need to get used to that.' He raised an eyebrow. 'Bryn told me everything earlier. The Dragonborn – I can't believe it.'

'Please, let's not talk about it. Here I'm just a thief, alright?'

Rune laughed. 'Just? You're a brilliant thief, and dragon slayer, and—' He stopped when Lorien glared at him. 'Just a thief. Got it.'

Lorien immediately smiled again. 'Thank you. And now, I have some business to attend to.' She strode towards her old bed just as Thrynn stood up from it.

'Lorien,' he said. 'Back from the dead.'

She crossed her arms. 'Good to see that you missed me so much you took to sleeping in my bed.'

'I didn't realise, alright? It's not like you needed it.' He frowned. 'That sounded bad. Just take the bed. I'll switch.'

'Thank you, Thrynn.' As soon as he'd left, Lorien pulled her dagger from her boot and knelt on her bed.

'What are you doing there, lass?'

Lorien smiled to herself. 'Reclaiming what's mine,' she said without turning around.

'With a dagger?' Bryn asked.

Lorien began carving an 'L' into the headboard.

'Ah. Clearly you didn't take to last night's sleeping situation.'

Her hand slipped slightly, and the 'L' became larger than she'd intended. She glanced back at Bryn. 'Well, it was nice having a bedroom. Even if I had to share it. But someone will need to use it one day.' Lorien finished off the 'L' and turned around. 'Who do you think the next Guildmaster will be? Mercer didn't really have a second, did he?'

'Maybe Karliah,' Bryn shrugged. 'Then she'll choose a second. Might be time to get in her good books.'

Lorien rolled her eyes, and stood up. She and Bryn walked towards Mercer's old desk. 'I haven't even seen Karliah since I got here. Have you?'

'I have. We... talked this morning.'

'Is something wrong?'

Bryn sighed. 'We decided the next thing to do is infiltrate Mercer's home.'

'He has a house in Riften?'

'A gift from the Black-Briars after they kicked the previous family out. Place called Riftweald Manor.' Brynjolf shrugged. 'He never stays there, just pays for the upkeep on it. Hired some lout by the name of Vald to guard the place.'

Lorien ran a hand through her hair, working her fingers through the tangles. 'So someone needs to get in there.'

'Don't worry – it's the last place in Skyrim I'd ever want to send you.'

'It's just a house, right?' Lorien shrugged.

'You know what I mean. After what... happened.'

'You can just say it, Bryn.'

'Well, I'm not really sure 'what happened'. All we were told is that Mercer tried to kill you. I didn't want to ask.'

Lorien blinked. 'Well... Mercer stabbed me,' she told Bryn. 'I was paralysed.'

Bryn stared at the desk for a few seconds, then looked up. 'I'll go to Mercer's house myself,' he said eventually. 'I don't want to ask anyone else to do it.'

'I'll come with you,' Lorien murmured. Bryn immediately shook his head, but she ignored him. 'It's just a house. Besides, if there's anything I can do to help track Mercer down, I want to do it.'

'It's not just a house, lass. It'll be guarded and probably full of traps, too. This is Mercer we're talking about.'

'All the more reason you shouldn't go on your own. You can't stop me from coming with you. Members of the Guild operate independently, remember?'

Bryn laughed a little. 'I never should've taught you that.'


	20. An Abnormally Tall Shoe Cupboard

Bryn led Lorien to Mercer's house. He advised her to be quiet when they drew close, as Vald was no doubt nearby. Lorien saw the gate they would have to enter through and set about picking it open, which, to her delight, took only one try.

The gate squeaked painfully loudly, and a large man who Lorien assumed was Vald emerged from behind an archway. 'Who's there?' he yelled.

Lorien frowned. 'Why would we actually answer that question?'

A moment later, she span out from behind the wall and lashed out at Vald with her sword. It caught him in the leg and he fell to the ground, moaning in pain.

Lorien bent down to speak to him. 'Be good,' she whispered. 'And keep quiet. Then maybe I'll heal that wound for you when we're back.'

With Vald taken care of, Lorien shot at the balcony until the found the spot that triggered the steps to fall down. Bryn searched Vald's pockets for a key to get them inside.

They entered into a storeroom, filled with barrels and not much else. However, Lorien heard a man's voice. After a moment she realised it was singing.

'Once was a woman, as fair as an evenin', of springtime on old Stros M'Kai...'

Lorien rolled her eyes and moved towards the door.

The man's song turned to disgruntled muttering. 'Lyin' little harlot... that brat ain't mine... could be anyone's... won't get one rusty Septim from me.'

Bryn almost laughed, but Lorien just smiled and held a finger to her lips before easing the door open. The man looked like a bandit – hired, she suspected, to look after the house.

He was close. Lorien drew the dagger from her boot and snuck up behind him. A floorboard creaked just as she reached him – she sprung up, grabbed him and sliced the dagger across his throat before he could react. His body fell back against her, and she heaved him off onto the floor.

Bryn watched as she dusted herself down. 'That was ruthless,' he whispered.

Lorien looked back at him. 'I can't help associating them with Mercer. I'm... angry, I suppose.'

'We all are,' Bryn sighed. 'I wasn't criticising you, lass. Just an observation.'

Lorien nodded and stuck her knife back into her boot, snatching a coin purse from the bandit's belt too. She and Bryn headed for the stairs on the other side of the room. They led down into another room, but all Lorien could see of it was some shelves containing some bottles and a statue of Dibella.

The stairs looked perilously creaky, so Lorien eased her way down as few of them as possible until she could see their next obstacle. Another bandit, sat at a small table on the far side of the room under a massive mounted stag head. Lorien exhaled slowly and notched an arrow to her bow almost silently. From this distance, it was easy to shoot him in the head.

He slumped in his chair, the goblet that had been in his hand dropping to the floor with a horrendous clunk. Lorien and Bryn froze at the sound, watching the ale seeping into the floorboards.

No one came. Lorien hurried downwards and searched the bandit's body for valuables. She glanced around her, but could see no obvious way forward.

'There are some doors over here,' Bryn told her, standing near the stairs they had just come down. Lorien went over to him, and they opened the doors together.

Inside this room was a smaller table, a tall cupboard and some large double doors with a door bar across them. Bryn tried the bar, but it was locked into place.

Lorien sighed and leaned against the wall. 'That bandit didn't have a key,' she told Bryn.

He searched the room again. Lorien opened the cupboard next to the doors. There was nothing inside it but a pair of shoes.

Bryn smiled over her shoulder. 'Odd that he has a tall cupboard like this to keep one pair of shoes in,' he said, shaking his head.

'And why would he keep his abnormally tall shoe cupboard in the dining room?' Lorien added, swinging the door shut again. She turned away from the cupboard and crossed her arms against her chest. It really was too tall a cupboard for shoes. She could have stood inside it. In fact, Bryn could have. In fact...

Mercer could have.

Turning around again slowly, Lorien eyed the cupboard with new suspicion. She reached for the door and opened it again, this time looking at the back wall of it. Maybe she was wrong, but...

'Look, Bryn,' she murmured. He came back to look in the cupboard. 'There are marks on that side of the panel, at the edge. Marks that could have been made over time.'

'Where are you going with this, lass?'

Lorien reached forward and dug her nails behind the back panel, pulling it forward. It came loose with a click and swung forwards, knocking the shoes out of the cupboard altogether.

'I suppose that's why he keeps so little in there,' Lorien smiled.

'So the marks were made by him prising the door open,' Bryn said, a slight smile on his face too.

Lorien shrugged. 'Lucky guess,' she said, stepping into the cabinet.

They descended further into the house and entered another room. It was large, but completely empty. Lorien frowned but stepped forward.

'Wait,' Bryn said suddenly.

She looked back, but took another step. As she did, she felt something move under her foot. A pressure plate.

Lorien yelped and jumped backwards, just in time to avoid a burst of flames from the floor. Bryn steadied her.

'You alright?' he asked after a moment.

Lorien nodded. 'Just took me by surprise. Maybe you should take the lead.'

'Ah, so I'm the one who gets caught out by the traps instead?' Bryn said, smiling. 'Very considerate of you, lass.'

'That's not what I meant!'

'I know, I know. Look – some of these pressure plates are a different colour. We could try only stepping on them?'

Lorien nodded and followed Bryn closely. They both made it safely across the room. Lorien tried to be more careful as they continued through the tunnels, spotting a couple more traps before she reached them. She also found a chest in a side tunnel, and Bryn joined her to open it.

'Wait,' he whispered. 'This could be trapped, too.' He checked the sides of the chest for a cord that would break if the chest was opened – a trap that depended on the greed of a thief.

The chest contained fifty Septims, which Lorien pocketed, promising to split them with Bryn later. There were also two potions, of which she took one – a poison antidote.

A little further through the tunnels, they found a long corridor. As they entered it, axes swung across their path.

'Whatever's down here,' Lorien muttered, 'Mercer _really_ doesn't want anyone to find.'

Bryn nodded tersely. 'So what do we do?'

Lorien thought, frowning. 'I have an idea, but I've never done it before.'

'I'm in your hands,' Bryn grinned. Lorien moved toward him and put an arm around his waist, using her other to grab one of his arms.

'This is your plan?' Bryn teased. 'As much as I'm enjoying it, lass, I'm not sure how it will...'

Lorien cut him off by shouting, 'WULD!' The Thu'um propelled her and Bryn past the axes, too fast for either of them to be hurt. Once they were safely on the other side, Lorien let go of Bryn and turned to him.

He looked more shocked than anything. 'What was that?'

'A Thu'um. A dragon shout.'

He smiled at her. 'Impressive. Is that the same one you used yesterday?'

'It is. The Greybeards taught me it.' Lorien felt a pang of guilt – she'd forgotten to write to the Greybeards.

She and Bryn headed down even more steps until they reached an iron door.

Bryn reached for the handle. 'We're close,' he murmured. 'I'm sure of it.'

'As long as that door isn't locked,' Lorien pointed out.

Bryn looked back at her, smiled, then, turned the handle and pushed the door open. It wasn't locked, but Lorien heard something snap.

' _Bryn_!' she yelled, but it was too late by then. Several arrows shot from holes above the door with such force that Bryn was knocked to the ground by them. Lorien ran to his side and knelt next to him.

'Bryn,' she said again. 'Are you alright?'

Bryn sat up and looked down at himself. He'd been hit by two arrows – one in his leg, one in his left arm. 'I'm alright,' he said after a moment.

Lorien remained where she was, looking closely at the wound in Bryn's leg. 'I can't believe I didn't realise there would be a trap. I should've noticed sooner.'

'I didn't notice,' Bryn reminded her. 'Lorien – you have to search that room.'

Lorien shook her head, avoiding eye contact.

Bryn grabbed her hand with his good one and pulled her round to face him. 'Listen. What we came here for is probably in that room. Find the plans. I'm not going anywhere, trust me.'

Lorien looked at Bryn for a few seconds before nodding, standing up and entering the room. Bryn watched her search the shelves and the desk, but everything seemed to be moving very slowly. Why wouldn't Lorien hurry up? He closed his eyes for a moment – that was nice. Opening them was slow, too. Difficult.

Lorien was holding two pieces of paper in his hands when Bryn managed to open his eyes, one of which she was reading intently. Hopefully that was Mercer's plan. If it was, they'd been successful... and maybe Bryn could go to sleep for a bit.

Wait, that was wrong. He didn't want to sleep... did he? Mercer, that name meant something to him.

'Lorien?' Bryn murmured. She turned and hurried to his side again.

It was a great effort, but Bryn lifted a hand to Lorien's face for a second, then let it fall. 'I think... those arrows... may have been poisoned.'

And then he closed his eyes.

Lorien grabbed his fallen hand, then his shoulder. She shook him hard, yelled his name in his face. He didn't open his eyes.

'We've got the plans now, Bryn!' she told him. 'Please, just stay with me until we get back to the Guildhall. I can help you there, I have potions—'

Potions. Lorien reached into her pocket, her hand closing around the small vial she'd found earlier, in the chest. She pulled the tiny cork out of it and tipped Bryn's head back, holding his mouth open with her thumb. Then she poured the entirety of the potion down his throat.

Nothing happened for a minute, and Lorien told herself the potion wouldn't work straight away. She focused on easing the arrows out of Bryn's body, then immediately healing the wounds with the only spell she knew. The strange darkness around the wounds was receding too – Lorien hoped that was a sign that the poison antidote was doing its job.

'You'll be alright,' she told Bryn, squeezing his hand again. 'You have to be. I only just found you again, Bryn. You can't go now.' She shut her eyes for a moment.

When Bryn opened his, half an hour later, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. The first thing he saw was Lorien, sitting against the wall nearby and turning an empty vial over in her hands. Her knees were drawn up to her chest.

Bryn lifted his head slightly to look at himself. Both arrows were gone, and he wasn't bleeding. The only evidence that he'd ever been shot were the two holes in his armour.

He looked over at Lorien again, and this time she saw him move and jumped to her feet. The empty vial fell to the floor and shattered, but she didn't notice.

'You're awake!' she said, smiling widely.

Bryn pushed himself up into a sitting position. 'Just about. What did you do?'

'I had a poison curing potion on me, luckily for you. I gave you that and healed your wounds, but you still didn't wake up for ages. You were still breathing, but...' Lorien trailed off.

Bryn smiled at her. 'Thank you. Did you get the plans?'

Lorien blinked. 'Oh, the plans – yes, they're here.' She tapped the satchel on her belt.

'Let's go, then,' Bryn said, easing himself onto his feet.

Lorien immediately hurried to help him up. 'Are you sure?'

'Stop fussing, lass. That was a lovely speech you made, by the way.'

'Speech?'

Bryn smiled mischievously. 'Oh, Bryn, I only just _found_ you again, you can't leave me _now_ —'

He was cut off by Lorien punching him in the (uninjured) arm. 'That is _not_ what I said. And I don't sound like that!'

Bryn laughed anyway. They walked slowly for a short while until they reached the next door, which Lorien saw Bryn check carefully for traps.

'I didn't know you could hear me,' she mumbled after a brief silence.

He glanced back at her. 'Would you have said something else?'

Lorien looked at the floor, chewing her thumbnail. 'I don't know. I thought you were going to die, alright?'

Bryn smiled. 'People are most honest when they think no one else is watching. Or listening,' he added.

Lorien rolled her eyes and pointedly ignored him.

Behind the door was a stone floor with a square hole in the middle of it. Lorien put a hand on Bryn's shoulder. 'Look,' she said, pointing at the hole. In the stone above it there was a shadowmark; a triangle pointing downwards, with a small circle around its point.

Bryn nodded. 'Danger. Mercer must have carved it. Which means it has to be pretty dangerous.' He lowered himself into the hole, then promptly cried out in pain.

Lorien immediately dropped into the hole, narrowly avoiding landing on top of Bryn, who was clutching his injured leg. 'Shouldn't have jumped onto it so soon,' he told Lorien

Lorien shook her head. 'Is there any other way? Anywhere less... dangerous?'

Bryn looked up at the hole they'd come through. There was no way back.

Lorien recognised the enormous room they'd landed in as the Ratway Vaults. She'd entered them by accident once, while looking for the Cistern. It hadn't been the best experience.

She glanced at Bryn's leg, then around him at the Vaults. The door to the Ragged Flagon wasn't far. She put a finger to her lips. Bryn nodded, his own lips pressed together.

'Alright,' Lorien whispered. 'Lean on me.'

She slid her arm underneath Bryn's on his bad side, taking as much of his weight as she could. Bryn nodded, and they began moving forwards. They both knew there were people here who would kill them if they saw them, and with Bryn injured and leaning on Lorien, neither of them could put up much of a fight.

It seemed like an age before Lorien saw the door to the Flagon, but she breathed a silent sigh of relief when she did. They had made it. She opened the door as quietly as possible and they both stumbled through.

The bar was empty when they reached it, and Bryn let out a groan of pain as soon as the door closed behind them. He sat down again against the wall, breathing deeply.

'We're alive,' Lorien said, more to herself than to Bryn.

He nodded anyway. 'Thanks to you.'

Lorien almost laughed. 'If I hadn't been there, distracting you, you probably would've noticed the trap. You noticed all the others.'

'I suppose I'll just blame you for this injury, then.'

'Let me look at that,' Lorien said, rolling her eyes. 'I must not have healed your leg properly. I did your arm first, I probably just ran out of magicka...'

Bryn watched Lorien as she knelt by his right leg and eased back his torn armour to look at the wound. 'I'm sorry for scaring you like that,' he murmured.

Lorien frowned at his leg. 'What are you on about now?'

'You sounded really upset. When I was... asleep.'

'Yeah, well. Like I told you, you looked like you were dead. _Resarcio_.' A swirling golden light appeared in Lorien's hand, and she guided it to Bryn's leg.

'So now we've both had a turn of believing the other to be dead,' Bryn joked.

Lorien laughed, and the light wavered just a little. 'Don't distract me,' she said.

'Personally, I think I had it worse.'

'Not a chance, Bryn. I was shot by a poisoned arrow _and_ stabbed.'

'That's not what I—Wait. Are you saying I need to get myself stabbed too?'

'If you want to live up to my exciting experience... yes.'

Bryn laughed a little and leant his head back against the wall.

Lorien glanced away from his leg for a second to frown at him. 'Please don't actually get stabbed.'

'I don't plan to,' Bryn assured her, meeting her eyes again. 'Besides, I'm sure you'd jump in front of the blade to protect me.'

'You wish,' Lorien laughed. 'One sword-in-the-stomach experience is enough for me.' The light in her hand went out and she smiled. 'There you go. Shouldn't be painful anymore.'

Bryn stood, and found that it wasn't. 'I suppose we'd better show Karliah what we found,' he said.

'I'll show her. You need to get some rest for the healing to work properly.' Lorien paused. 'Do you want me to take you to the second's room again?'

Bryn nodded. He didn't need the help walking anymore, but Lorien went with him anyway and made sure he actually lay down. 'I'm tempted to lock you in here,' she told him.

'I promise I'll rest.'

'Until I come and get you?'

'Whatever you say.'

Lorien smiled. 'Alright then.' She turned to leave.

'One more thing, lass,' Bryn called.

'What is it?' Lorien asked, glancing back at him.

'I also remember you holding my hand an awful lot when I was supposedly dying.'

Lorien glared. 'I swear, if you weren't injured, I'd punch you,' she said after a moment.

Bryn smiled infuriatingly. 'I'm not sure you would.'

'Then you should know better. I _definitely_ would.'

'Stop, please – you'll give me nightmares.'

Lorien shook her head and turned to leave once again, but only so Bryn couldn't see her smiling to herself.


	21. How Does This Guy Keep Getting Worse?

When Lorien woke up the next morning, Karliah was waiting for her.

'The Guild scoured the town while you were gone, and spoke to every contact we have,' she told Lorien. We found no sign of Mercer.'

Lorien ran a hand through her hair, easing her fingers through the wiry curls. 'Good morning to you too,' she mumbled.

Karliah gestured to the papers in her hand. 'These plans you brought back, however... Mercer's going after the Eyes of the Falmer.' She sighed. 'That was Gallus' pet project.'

Lorien tried to keep up. It was still early, and she wasn't really a morning person.

'If he gets his hands on the Eyes,' Karliah continued, 'you can be certain he'll be gone for good and set up for life.'

'So it's all about money?'

Karliah shrugged. 'For Mercer, yes.'

Lorien leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees. 'We have to stop him.'

'Of course we do. He's taken everything the Guild has left, and to go after one of the last greatest heists – the heist Gallus was planning – is just an insult.'

'Have you told Bryn all of this?'

'Bryn?' Karliah echoed. 'Oh. I haven't seen him yet. Let him know for me.'

Lorien nodded as Karliah left, then swung her legs off the side of the bed. Bryn was usually up early. Many other Guild members were still asleep, though, so Lorien tried her best to be quiet as she crossed to the second's room and knocked on the door.

No noise from inside.

 _Don't panic,_ Lorien told herself immediately. _He's still asleep._ Unless she hadn't healed his wounds properly, of course. She wasn't the best healer, after all, and if what if there was still poison in his blood? She should have checked on him in the night, or at least asked someone else to take a look at him—

'Lori? Are you going to open that door or just stare at it?'

Lorien jumped and turned around, finding Rune behind her. She forced a smile. 'I was just going to check if Bryn was alright. He got injured yesterday.'

Rune frowned. 'Alright. Wait here, I'll see if he's still sleeping.'

Lorien agreed, then leant against the wall beside the door. She couldn't help but feel a little impatient. After a couple of minutes, she heard Rune laughing and knocked on the door again.

'Hey! Can I come in yet?'

She was met by only silence for a moment, then Bryn's muffled voice. 'Quick, lock the door before she storms in.'

Lorien immediately turned the door handle and pushed, half expecting there to be resistance on the other side. There was none, and consequently she half-fell into the room.

Bryn was sat at the desk with a book open in front of him, and Rune was stood nearby with a grin on his face.

'How long have you been up?' Lorien asked Bryn.

Rune grinned wider. 'Half the night, by the sound of things.'

'Rune!' Bryn interrupted. 'That's not true,' he told Lorien. 'But you made me rest in the day, so I just wasn't that tired. I thought you'd probably be angry with me for being up early, though, so I pretended to still be asleep. Until Rune barged in.'

Lorien glared at the two of them for a few seconds, then sighed. 'I can't be angry with both of you this early. It's too much effort. Besides, Bryn – Karliah wants me to talk to you.'

Rune rolled his eyes. 'Let me guess – I should leave?'

'No, it's alright. It's just that Mercer's going after something called the Eyes of the Falmer.'

Both Bryn and Rune were silent for a few seconds. Then Bryn sighed. 'And we thought he couldn't be any more of a bastard.'

Rune crossed his arms. 'He betrays the Guild, then sets his sights on the one thing we've always aspired to steal? It's like he wants us to go after him.'

'So we will,' Lorien interjected. 'Right?'

'We?' Bryn echoed. 'I don't think so, lass. We both know what happened last time you were in Mercer's way.'

Rune nodded. 'And he'll probably be even better prepared. He's expecting us to chase him, after all.'

'But if I can't help, why did I just write to the Greybeards and tell them I'd be away for a while? I thought you needed me to come back.' Lorien gestured angrily as she spoke. 'We should let Karliah decide. She's in charge, right?'

'She is,' Bryn said, 'but she shouldn't be the one making that decision.'

'Why not?'

'You know that Karliah was in love with Gallus. She wants to hunt Mercer down for her personal vengeance more than for the sake of the Guild. I don't think she'd hesitate to endanger another member if it meant getting closer to Mercer – she's already done it once.' Bryn looked pointedly at Lorien. 'Her judgement is clouded.'

Lorien didn't know when Bryn had become so sensible, but she wasn't sure she liked it. 'Then we decide. But that includes me. You have to give me a say!'

Bryn looked at Rune, who shrugged. 'Remember what happened last time you tried to stop her from going on a dangerous mission?' he said. 'You and Lorien know the most about Mercer's plans. But you also know the most about how Karliah works – you were the ones who tracked her down, after all. You'd be best suited to keep her under control. There's no doubt that Karliah will choose you two, but even if she didn't, I would. Lorien will be fine, Bryn.'

Bryn stood up from his chair and pushed it under the desk. 'That's what you said last time,' he muttered. 'Then she got ran through with a blade and disappeared for over half a year. She just got back, and now you want to send her after the man who tried to kill her?'

'I'm not sending her anywhere, Bryn – she wants to go. I'm just telling you that you can't stop her.' Rune looked over at Lorien as if he'd forgotten she was there, then sighed. 'I've said my piece. You two can talk this out.'

Bryn didn't meet Lorien's eyes as Rune left the room, and Lorien didn't look away from his. He seemed strangely like a sulking child.

'Bryn,' Lorien said quietly after a moment. 'You'd be in just as much danger as me if you went. And I'm not trying to stop you.'

'That's different,' Bryn told her. He didn't elaborate on how.

Lorien didn't push it. 'I'm not denying that it's going to be risky. You must know that the last thing I want to do is encounter Mercer again after...' she trailed off, her hand going to her stomach.

Bryn noticed. 'Is there a scar?' he asked after a moment.

Lorien hesitated, then nodded.

Bryn sighed and stepped forwards. 'Can I...'

Without waiting for him to finish the sentence, Lorien lifted her shirt a little to show the scar. She tried not to look at it much herself – it wasn't pretty. The skin was puckered from Karliah's first attempt at healing, and even the healer from the Temple of Kynareth hadn't been able to get rid of the raised scar. It reached from the bottom of her left ribs to her navel, and contrasted her dark skin sharply.

Bryn stared at the scar, and suddenly Lorien wished she hadn't shown him. She didn't want him to think she was ugly, which the scar undoubtedly was. That got her wondering why she was so concerned about what Bryn thought of her. Then she realised she was still stood with her shirt up, and Bryn was still looking at the scar, and for some reason her face was getting very hot.

She dropped the shirt, and Bryn blinked, then met her eyes. Lorien tried to ignore the strange feeling in her stomach and shook her hair back from her face.

'Do you see why I need to help stop him?' she asked.

Bryn sighed. 'You've already helped, lass. You infiltrated Mercer's house with me—'

'Which you easily could have done alone.'

'You helped us track down Karliah in the first place—'

'That's not the same!'

Bryn looked down, then grabbed Lorien's shoulders. 'Lorien, you saved my life,' he said, looking into her eyes. 'You've saved my life twice.'

Lorien blinked, unable to come up with an immediate response.

'You saved both me and Rune from a dragon. We would have been killed for sure. And I know I didn't say it then, but thank you. And yesterday—'

'You probably wouldn't have been shot if I wasn't there.'

'Are you ever going to stop interrupting me? _Yesterday_ , you saved me again.'

A pause. Then, 'This is exactly why you should let me go,' Lorien said, smiling slightly. 'You owe me.'

'It's exactly why I _can't_ let you go,' Bryn countered. 'That, and the fact that you've already died once. I don't want to risk it again. I—I don't know, Lorien. I just care about you too much. Alright?'

Lorien stood still as Bryn released her shoulders and turned away. She waited for him to say something else, but he didn't.

'Bryn?' she murmured after a moment.

'Don't,' he said. 'Please don't come.'

Lorien was tempted to leave it there, to agree with Bryn and let it go. She hated having made him this upset. But in the end, she cared about him too much.

'If I don't go,' she said, 'you're not going either.'

Bryn turned to look at her. 'What?'

'You heard me,' Lorien said, trying to keep her voice steady. 'Either we go after Mercer together, or stay here together.' _Because I don't want to be separated again._

'You can't stop me from going,' Bryn pointed out.

'True. But if you go without me, I won't be here when you get back. I'll never come here again. I swear. I'll – I'll – I'll join the _Companions_.' She couldn't help smiling a little.

Bryn shook his head, trying not to return the smile. 'You wouldn't dare.'

A joke – that was a good sign, surely. 'Do you really want to test that, Bryn? I'll do it. I swear, I'll do it.'

'I can't believe this. You're blackmailing me for the chance to get yourself killed.'

'I just think you could do with some extra protection. I am the Dragonborn, remember.'

'One condition.'

'Yes?'

' _If_ you come, and we find Mercer, you don't go after him. You hide and keep yourself safe. I don't care about revenge, or wanting to be the one to deliver the killing blow – you leave him to us.'

After a moment, Lorien nodded. 'Trust me, Bryn – I don't want to get any closer to Mercer Frey than I have to.'


	22. Stubbornness Personified

The next day, Lorien and Bryn walked together to an old standing stone just outside the city. It was where Karliah had asked them to meet her.

As they walked, Lorien couldn't help but notice that things felt a little... different. It reminded her of the day Bryn had given her the necklace. She reached for the pendant without really meaning to, but Bryn noticed her movement.

'You're still wearing it?' he asked, smiling.

Lorien shrugged. 'Never know when a little help pickpocketing will come in handy.'

'I just thought it might have gotten lost after all this time. Or stolen, or something.'

'As if anyone could steal from me.' _Especially since I haven't taken it off since you gave it to me._ Lorien frowned at that thought and changed the subject. 'Bryn, Mercer isn't going to be at this old standing stone. Is he?'

'I doubt he is.'

Lorien relaxed a little. 'Then why are we going there?'

'Your guess is as good as mine, lass. Though I have a feeling it's something to do with the Nightingales.'

'The Nightingales?'

'Be patient,' Bryn told her. Lorien sighed, dissatisfied, and he laughed. 'You'll get your answers soon enough. That's the stone up ahead.'

Sure enough, it was, and Lorien could just make out the slight figure standing next to it. Karliah. She was shifting impatiently.

'I'm glad you're here,' she said when they were close enough to hear her.

Lorien looked around her. 'What is 'here', exactly?'

'This is the headquarters of the Nightingales,' Karliah explained. 'A secret inner circle within the Thieves Guild, existing to honour Nocturnal and protect her shrines. She is our patron – the patron of all thieves.' Karliah looked back at the stone. 'This was cut into the mountainside by the first of our kind. We've come here to seek the edge that we need to defeat Mercer.'

Lorien nodded slowly. 'What kind of... edge?'

'If you'll follow me, I'll try to explain on the way.'

There was a sound of stone grating on stone near them. Karliah turned towards it, but Lorien stopped her.

'Karliah, wait. Am I to become a... Nightingale?'

Karliah smiled a little. 'It's my hope that you will, yes. But we have to hurry.'

She led them to a wooden door embedded in the rocks. Once inside, Bryn looked around him.

'So, this is Nightingale Hall,' he murmured. 'I heard about this place when I joined the Guild, but I never believed it existed.'

Karliah glanced back at him. 'The assumption that the Nightingales were just a myth was seeded within the Guild on purpose. It helped avert attention from our true nature.'

Bryn frowned, and Lorien nudged him. 'What's wrong?' she asked.

'I'm trying to understand why I'm here, lass. I'm no priest, and I'm certainly not religious. Why would Karliah pick me?'

'This isn't about religion, Brynjolf,' Karliah interrupted. 'It's business.'

They walked deeper into the cave. Lorien shivered a little as they came to the hall. Bryn rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment, then let it fall.

'So the last Nightingales,' he said to Karliah. 'That was you, Gallus, and...'

'And Mercer Frey,' Karliah finished. 'Yes. One is dead, one is soon to be so. It falls upon me to find new initiates. You're the first of the uninitiated to set foot inside in... over a century.' She turned back to look at them. 'If we proceed to the armoury to don the Nightingale Armour, we can begin the Oath.'

They followed her. Bryn turned to Lorien. 'This is enough to make your head spin, eh?'

Lorien nodded. 'It's a lot to take in.'

There were three large stones in the armoury, with the Nightingale symbol on them. Lorien pressed her hand to the surface of one, and Karliah and Brynjolf used the others.

Lorien gasped as her body was encircled by what looked like a black mist. As it settled on her, it hardened into armour that fit like a glove. Nightingale armour, she realised. The symbol was right there on her chest.

When the black mist disappeared, she was dressed from head to toe in the new armour. A hood covered her head, and a cowl hid her face.

She turned, pulling the cowl down, to see that Bryn and Karliah were wearing the same armour.

Karliah was smiling at her. 'It fits, then?'

'Perfectly.'

'The armour is enchanted to suit your skills, too.'

Lorien looked down at herself as Karliah led her and Bryn onwards. Bryn seemed wary about the whole thing. 'Okay, Karliah,' he said. 'We've got these getups on. Now what?'

Karliah stopped, running her gloved hand over the metal bars in front of her. 'Beyond this gate is the first step in becoming a Nightingale.'

Bryn shook his head, holding his hands out. 'Karliah... I appreciate the armour, but becoming a Nightingale? That was never discussed.'

Karliah sighed. 'To hold any hope of defeating Mercer, we must have Nocturnal at our backs. If she's to accept you as one of her own, an arrangement must be struck.'

'What sort of arrangement?' Lorien interjected.

Bryn nodded. 'We need to know the terms.'

'The terms are quite simple, Brynjolf,' Karliah replied. 'Nocturnal will allow you to become a Nightingale, and use your abilities for whatever you wish. And in return, both in life and in death, you must serve as a guardian of the Twilight Sepulcher.'

'There's always a catch,' Bryn sighed. 'But at this point, I suppose there isn't much to lose. If it means the end of Mercer Frey, you can count me in.'

Karliah nodded and turned to Lorien. 'What about you?' she said. 'Are you ready to transact the Oath with Nocturnal?'

Lorien thought of the price – giving her soul after death to Nocturnal. She hoped that her death was a long way away, but had never spent much time thinking about what came after it.

But this meant the end of Mercer, and becoming part of an elite group of thieves. It also meant she could accompany Bryn and Karliah.

'Alright,' she said. 'I'm ready.'

'Good,' Karliah responded, looking pleased. 'After I open the gate, please stand on the western circle.' She turned and pulled the chain on the wall next to her. The metal gate fell away, and Lorien saw clearly the room ahead.

There was a large circular stone platform in the centre of the room, surrounded by water. From it branched three stone bridges, leading to smaller platforms. Lorien walked carefully to the western platform and gazed around her.

Karliah stood on the small platform in the middle, and Bryn on the furthest one. Lorien tried to catch his eye – she was more nervous than she'd expected to be.

Karliah opened her arms and looked up to the ceiling. 'I call upon you, Lady Nocturnal,' she called. 'Queen of Murk and Empress of Shadow... hear my voice!'

A swirling ball of light appeared in the centre of the room. After a moment, a loud voice emanated from it.

'Ah, Karliah,' it said. It was deep, but the voice of a woman. 'I was wondering when I'd hear from you again. Lose something, did we?'

Karliah's voice shook a little as she knelt on the stone and replied. 'My Lady, I've come to throw myself upon your mercy, and to accept responsibility for my failure.'

Light danced on the walls of the cavern. 'You're already mine, Karliah,' the voice of Nocturnal reminded her smugly. 'Your terms were struck long ago. What could you possibly offer me now?'

'I have two others that wish to transact the Oath – to serve you in both life and in death.'

After a pause, the voice spoke again. 'You surprise me, Karliah. This offer is definitely weighted in my favour.'

Lorien wasn't sure that she liked the sound of that.

Karliah replied. 'My appetite for Mercer's demise exceeds my craving for wealth, Your Grace.' It seemed to be as Bryn had said – Karliah was desperate for vengeance.

Nocturnal saw this too. 'Revenge?' she said. 'How... interesting.' There was a pause before she spoke again. 'Very well. The terms are acceptable. You may proceed.'

Karliah stood, her hand on her chest. 'Lady Nocturnal, we accept your terms. We dedicate ourselves to you as both your avengers and your sentinels.'

Lorien's heart was beating quickly.

'We will honour our agreement in this life and the next until your conditions have been met.'

'Very well,' Nocturnal replied. 'I name your initiates Nightingale, and I restore your status to the same, Karliah. And in the future... I'd suggest you refrain from disappointing me again.'

The light faded, and Karliah began walking to the centre of the room. Lorien shook her head quickly, as if to wake herself up, and followed her.

Bryn joined them and Karliah spoke to them both. 'Now that you've transacted the Oath, it's time to reveal the final piece of the puzzle to you – Mercer's true crime.'

'He's done more?' Lorien asked.

Karliah nodded grimly. 'Mercer was able to unlock the Guild's vault without the keys because of what he stole from the Twilight Sepulcher... the skeleton key. By doing this, he's compromised our ties to Nocturnal and in essence, caused our luck to run dry.'

Bryn sighed. 'Delvin wasn't far off, then. The Guild is cursed.'

Karliah shrugged. 'More or less.'

'This skeleton key,' Lorien interrupted. 'It unlocks any door?'

'Well, yes,' Karliah replied. 'But the key isn't only restricted to physical barriers. All of us possess untapped abilities – the potential to wield great power, securely sealed within our minds. Once you realise that the key can access these traits, the potential becomes... limitless.' She turned to Bryn. 'If the key isn't restored to its lock in the Twilight Sepulcher, things will never be the same for the Guild. As time passed, our luck would diminish to the point of non-existence. And whether you know it or not, our uncanny luck defines our trade.'

Lorien couldn't help but smile. 'I wasn't expecting my first job as a Nightingale to be returning something.'

'Very true,' Karliah said, returning the smile. 'In our line of work, it's very rare we set out to return a stolen item to its rightful owner.' She looked over at Bryn. 'We have to leave soon. If you still wish to speak with Lorien...'

Bryn nodded. Karliah returned to the gate, and Lorien frowned at Bryn.

'Is something wrong?' she asked.

'No,' he assured her, but he looked worried.

When he didn't say anything else, Lorien smiled. 'You look good in that armour. It suits you.'

Bryn looked at her then. 'Lorien – I shouldn't have let you come.'

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'We're not having this conversation again, Bryn. It's too late now, anyway.'

'It's not. That's what I'm trying to say – this is your last chance to turn back.'

'Not going to happen. I'm sorry.'

'We might die, lass. We really might die.'

'I know,' Lorien said, her voice wavering a little. 'But that's true of every day. Look – someone has to go after Mercer, so it might as well be us. At least we know we'll have each other's backs.'

Bryn stepped forwards and tucked Lorien's necklace into her armour, sighing. She looked up at him, then wished she hadn't. He was very close.

Neither of them moved, though.

'Bryn,' Lorien murmured. 'When you said—Before, when you said you... cared about me...'

He smiled sadly. 'Yes.'

'Yes?'

'I think I know what you're asking, and they answer is yes – I meant it like that. I _really_ care about you, Lorien. Losing you only made me see it more clearly. Now that you're back, I can't let you risk your life again. Don't you understand that?'

Lorien took a deep breath, then reached for Bryn's hand. 'And I can't let you risk yours on your own. If you go, I go. So let's just get on with it already.'

Bryn looked at the floor, then at Lorien. He squeezed her hand, and she smiled.

'I suppose this is what I get for choosing someone so stubborn,' he said after a moment.

Lorien raised an eyebrow. 'As if you can talk. Please stop being so downcast, Bryn – it's not like you.'

He chuckled. 'Alright. I'll try my best just to keep you happy, lass.'


	23. Don't Start Monologuing while the Bad Guy is Alive

A day and a half later, Lorien, Bryn and Karliah made it to Irkngthand. The first thing they found was several dead bandits sprawled on the floor. 'Well, Mercer's definitely been here,' Karliah announced. 'I hope we aren't too late. We have to catch up to him.'

Lorien nodded, staring at the nearest bandit. She'd been stabbed through the stomach. There was dried blood all around her body, and her skin was greyish and pale. Lorien knew if she touched it, it would be cold.

This could very easily have been her.

'Let's move on,' Bryn suggested.

'We should tread carefully,' Karliah told him. 'I wouldn't be surprised if Mercer's left behind a few surprises for us.'

This was proven by the numerous traps the three thieves came across as they made their way through Irkngthand. They got their first glimpse of Mercer himself upon entering an enormous cavern. Karliah immediately ran to the railings and grabbed hold of them.

'It's Mercer!' she hissed. 'Look! Down there!'

Lorien hurried to Karliah's side and searched the enormous room below. Yes – she could see a crouched figure, making its way out of the room. Mercer.

'Damn it,' Bryn said from behind them. 'There's no way through.'

'He's toying with us,' Karliah decided. 'He wants us to follow.'

Lorien didn't like the sound of that.

'Let's keep moving,' Bryn sighed.

Lorien walked at his side, looking around her as they made their way into the next room.

'Look at the size of this place,' he said at one point. 'Have you ever seen anything like it in your life, lass?'

Lorien shook her head without looking away from the ceiling.

She and the other thieves had to fight their way through many Falmer before making it any further, as well as dodging the traps all along their path. Thankfully, they managed to sneak past the only Dwarven Centurion they came across. Lorien hadn't liked the look of that machine at all.

Eventually, Lorien released an arrow from her bow and watched as it plunged into the head of the last Falmer. She slung the bow onto her back, unsheathing her sword and spinning around to take out an approaching chaurus. There were a lot of vicious creatures in Skyrim, but Lorien found that she particularly despised the chaurus.

Glaring at the body, she yanked her sword out of its scaly back and replaced it on her belt. Bryn and Karliah were right behind her.

'Mercer is close,' Karliah frowned. 'I'm certain of it. We must prepare ourselves.'

Lorien nodded tersely. Together they made their way to the Dwarven door at the bottom of the stone steps.

Bryn took one of the doors, and Lorien made to push open the other. Karliah stood between the two of them, taking a deep breath before she entered.

It took Lorien a moment to spot Mercer – she was taken aback by the enormous statue in front of her. She'd heard of the statue, but she'd never imagined it at this scale. It was a golden depiction of a snow elf, sat cross-legged on the floor of the gigantic cavern. Even so, its ornately decorated head reached the stone ceiling. In its right hand was a flaming torch, and in its right was a massive stone tablet, splattered with blood. Two dead Falmer were sprawled on its surface.

And there, dangling from the right eye of the statue, was Mercer Frey.

Karliah breathed in sharply. 'He's here, and he hasn't seen us yet,' she hissed. 'Brynjolf, watch the door.'

'Got it,' Bryn murmured. 'Nothing's getting by me.'

Karliah turned to Lorien, urgency in her eyes. 'I'm going to climb down that ledge, and see if I can—'

'Karliah!' Mercer Frey called, his voice echoing in the cavern. 'When will you learn you can't get the drop on me?' He jumped from the eye of the statue, landing lightly on the stone tablet beneath it. Lorien whipped her bow from her back in an instant, but before she could even load an arrow the entire cavern shook, rocks and dust falling from its ceiling. The ledge collapsed under her feet. Lorien cried out, falling to the ground beneath her. Her chin knocked hard against the stone. She looked around her frantically, suddenly remembering what Karliah had once said about Mercer – to cross blades with him would be a death sentence. It seemed that now he didn't even need blades.

In a leisurely manner, Mercer walked onto the stone tablet. Lorien could see his face now. He was staring down on her, and he looked so smug that she was able to force herself to her feet.

'Lorien,' he said. 'Back from the dead. When Brynjolf brought you before me, I could feel a sudden shift in the wind. At that moment, I knew it would end with one of us at the end of a blade.'

Lorien wiped the blood from her chin with the back of her hand as she stood. She looked back up at Karliah and Bryn, both out of her reach now.

Then she turned to the man who'd tried to kill her, with all the confidence she could muster. 'You already skewered me once, Mercer,' she called. 'When I was paralysed and defenceless? Not exactly an honourable fight.'

He laughed at that. 'If only you'd learn that there is no honour among thieves, perhaps you'd be able to beat me.'

'Just give us the key, Mercer,' Lorien replied. 'You're outnumbered.'

'What's Karliah been filling your head with?' he asked, ignoring her. 'I'll bet that's where you got these tales of thieves with honour. Of oaths rife with falsehoods and broken promises. Nocturnal doesn't care about you!' he said mockingly. 'She doesn't care about the key, or anything to do with the Guild.'

'I'm not a very religious person, Mercer,' Lorien replied, glaring. 'This is personal.'

'Yes, yes, revenge against the man you hate most,' Mercer drawled. 'It's all about you. Don't you see? Our actions have always been the same; both of us lie, cheat and steal to further our own end.'

'It's not about me. It's about the Guild. And I'm not going to use the skeleton key to... further my own end.'

'You don't know anything about me or the key, girl,' Mercer snarled. 'It is an instrument of limitless wealth. But I know you. I helped train you, remember? If you did get your hands on the key, you would keep it for yourself.'

Lorien stared Mercer down defiantly. 'You think you know me? I was always just a tool in your plan, to be used and disposed of. But that's the one part of your plan that went wrong – because I'm still here.'

Mercer paced along the stone, swinging his massive sword. 'You will fall, Lorien. And it will be at my hand.'

'Then let it finish,' Lorien shouted, hoping she didn't sound as terrified as she felt, 'as you said, on the end of a blade.'

Mercer laughed triumphantly. 'Then the die is cast, and once again my blade will taste Nightingale blood!'

He lifted his hands, casting a spell, and Lorien heard Bryn cry out behind her. She looked back, and saw to her surprise that he was battling Karliah.

'I can't control myself!' he yelled, even as he attacked his fellow Nightingale.

Karliah was parrying every move he made, but she paused momentarily to call out to Lorien. 'Move!' she cried. 'Mercer!'

Lorien forced herself to turn, and saw Mercer advancing towards her. She lifted her shield and blocked his blade as it swung towards her. The force of the attack almost made her stagger, but she pushed upwards hard and drove her sword towards Mercer.

He spun away from her, and Lorien lowered her shield. He was running, she noticed, but she barely had time to register it before he vanished. Lorien cried out in frustration – illusion magic. She sprinted after the blurry figure of Mercer. He was large and strong, but Lorien's smaller frame allowed her to move faster and catch him up after a few seconds. She lashed out at him with her sword, catching his arm. He rippled back into visibility, retaliating by slashing towards her with his dagger.

Lorien dodged almost all his attacks – the blade slashed across her chest once, but didn't break through the new armour – but she didn't have time to hit him again before he vanished. She swore and looked wildly around her. Nothing. Mercer had moved too quickly for her to keep track of him.

After a moment of panic, Lorien remembered something. Three words appeared in her mind, as if they'd been burned into her eyes. A Shout the Greybeards has taught her, commonly called 'aura whisper'.

' _Laas yah nir_ ,' she breathed, feeling the words leave her and circle the cavern. The outline of Mercer appeared. He was motionless, waiting for her to move to him. She smiled, readying her bow. Carefully, she loaded an arrow and aimed.

At the last moment, Mercer must have noticed her aiming for him and he jerked away. Lorien's arrow hit his leg instead of his heart.

It was almost as good. He couldn't run now. He still tried, shuddering back into visibility as Lorien bore down upon him, and hobbling away from her.

'Enough, Mercer,' she spat as she neared him. 'This is over.'

He laughed bitterly. 'And so you will slaughter me as I stand here, defenceless. Not very honourable, is it?'

'You lost your right to an honourable death a long time ago.'

'Because I tried to kill you?' he chuckled. 'Don't be so self-important, Lorien. I didn't have a personal vendetta against you. You were just the easiest to get rid of.'

Lorien clenched her free hand into a fist. 'We've been over this, Mercer. It's not about me. You stole from the Guild – the closest thing I have to a family.'

'Isn't that touching.' Mercer lifted a hand, and Lorien saw a green glow form within it. Her eyes widened and she lunged towards him with her sword, but the spell hit her just as her sword's tip touched his chest.

Her body was frozen there, her blade poised over his heart. Her bow fell from her hand and clattered to the floor, far below. Mercer grinned, pulling out his own dagger. 'You should have killed me sooner,' he said. 'It seems that I wasn't as defenceless as you thought.'

Everything inside Lorien was screaming to escape the spell, but she could do nothing. She could only move her head and face – the rest of her body was completely paralysed. Mercer's dagger hovered in front of her. Then he plunged it into her stomach.

Lorien screamed gutturally. Blood filled her mouth. Across the cavern, she thought she heard Bryn cry out in shock, although he sounded so far away to her that she was surprised he'd been able to see what had happened. Blood spilled from between Lorien's lips and dripped onto the stone floor. She watched it fall, helpless.

'You think you're better than me, girl, because I have killed and stolen and betrayed,' Mercer said, jerking the blade upwards. Lorien made a choking sound. 'But you've done all of that several times over, haven't you? Even in your relatively short life.'

'Not betrayed,' Lorien spluttered. She realised that she couldn't quite breathe as easily as before. 'Never betrayed.'

'It matters little. Now you'll meet the end you had chosen for me.' Mercer smiled cruelly. 'It's a shame you can't talk your way out of this, isn't it?'

But now it was Lorien's turn to smile. 'Talk my way out?' she murmured. 'You should've stuck around a little longer, Mercer. Gotten to know who I really am.'

He frowned.

Lorien shut her eyes, gathered all the energy left within her and forced it into one shout. ' _FUS RO DA_!'

Mercer was sent flying backwards, landing on the stone tablet. His sword was yanked out of Lorien's stomach, and she screamed as she dropped to the floor. She stood again as soon as she could, breathing raggedly and clutching her stomach. Then she found Mercer.

Inexplicably, he was still alive. Lorien placed her foot on his throat as he made to speak.

'No,' she said, her voice hoarse. Without another moment's hesitation, she plunged her sword into his chest and watched the life leave his body.

As soon as he was dead, Lorien slumped beside him. 'Resarcio,' she breathed, and focused what little power she had left into her hand. She breathed deeply as the golden glow of the healing spell appeared beneath it. Slowly, the pain eased. She spat out the blood in her mouth.

Bryn and Karliah had been released from Mercer's spell, but as Lorien looked down at them climbing the statue, she saw something else. The water was beginning to rise.

The golden light under her hand sputtered and died as her magicka ran out, but Mercer had many healing potions on his body. Lorien drank as many as she could, feeling strength return to her. Then she grabbed the satchel that she knew contained the eyes of the statue. The skeleton key was in Mercer's pocket.

The satchel wasn't quite as heavy as Lorien had expected. She scrambled to her feet, downing a stamina potion as she went, and began climbing the statue. She could just see Bryn and Karliah below her. They were shouting to each other.

There was a tremendous noise above her as stone fell from the ceiling, but Lorien noticed something. The falling rock had created a hole in the ceiling – one she was sure she could escape through. But she'd have to wait until the water rose before she could reach it.

Bryn and Karliah reached her at the top of the statue. Lorien took the brief reprieve as a chance to heal herself further. She didn't use all her magicka this time – she knew she couldn't afford to drain her energy.

The water was rising fast. Lorien barely had time to assure Bryn that she was okay before it reached them at the statue's head and they had to move. Lorien pointed out the hole in the ceiling to her fellow Nightingales, and they both climbed up the rocks to reach it. She scrambled up after them, gratefully accepting their hands to help her. Then they ran through the narrow tunnel together, the water at their heels, until the water stopped rising and they were safe in Bronze Water Cave. Karliah bent over, her hands on her knees. Lorien slumped against a wall.

'I can't believe it's over,' Karliah breathed. 'Years in exile, and just like that, it's done.' She looked down at Lorien. 'All that remains is for me to ensure the safe return of the skeleton key.'

Lorien reached inside her satchel, retrieving the key. She held it out to Karliah.

Karliah took it carefully. 'Thank you, Lorien,' she said. 'Not just for the key. For everything you did to bring Mercer down.'

Bryn approached them. 'Did you get hold of the Eyes?' he asked Lorien.

She patted the satchel. 'Got both of them in here,' she said, standing up. 'They'd better be worth a lot, because they're heavy.'

'Let me take them,' Bryn offered. Lorien opened her mouth to object, but Bryn shook his head. 'You just fought Mercer Frey, lass. Let me take your satchel.'

Lorien rolled her eyes and handed it over. 'Don't go running off with it,' she said.

'You think so little of me?' Bryn asked, mock-offended.

'I think you're a dirty thief,' Lorien shrugged.

Karliah interrupted them. 'Lorien – I saw you lost your bow. I want you to take mine. Once this is over, I think you'll need it more than I will.'

Lorien took the bow and gazed at it in admiration. It was made of ebony, the wood carved with swirling patterns.

'A Nightingale bow,' Karliah told her. 'May it serve you as well as it has me. I have to return the skeleton key as soon as possible, but no doubt I'll return to the Guild when that job is complete.'

Bryn nodded and wished her well. Lorien tore her eyes away from the bow to wave too.

When Karliah was gone, Lorien busied herself with slinging the bow onto her back, then counting her arrows. Bryn watched with an amused look on his face.

Eventually, Lorien sighed. 'What are you looking at me like that for?'

'I'm just very happy you're alive,' Bryn told her, grinning.

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'You should never have doubted me, really.'

'I didn't. But I also didn't expect you to have to face Mercer alone.'

'Well. I suppose he's always been one for defying expectations.'

'No – that's your job, lass.'

Lorien raised an eyebrow. 'What were your expectations, then?'

'When I first met you?' Bryn asked. Lorien nodded. 'Well... I thought you'd be a perfect recruit for the Guild.'

'Really?'

'Of course. Young, so plenty of time to train you in the skills you were so clearly lacking. Impertinent enough to deal with Vex and Sapphire – and with me. And so desperate for money that you were willing to become a thief.'

Lorien laughed, then punched Bryn in the arm. 'And here I was thinking you were leading up to something nice.'

'Maybe it's just a very long lead-up.'

'Sure. I'll be expecting something really good when I'm on my deathbed.'

Bryn shook his head, but he was trying not to laugh. They stood like that for a few seconds, smiling at each other without saying anything, before Lorien averted her eyes and turned away.

'I suppose we should get back to the Guild,' she said. 'Delvin will be itching to get his hands on those Eyes, and I have a feeling that second's room will have your name on it soon enough. Besides, I have to finish carving my name into my bed.'

She made to leave the small cave, but before she could Bryn reached out and grabbed her by the crook of her arm. She turned on the spot to look at him, but found his face much closer to hers than she'd expected.

'Is this a bad idea?' Bryn asked quietly.

Lorien tried her best to look into his eyes, but they were almost too near to hers. She shook her head without thinking about it.

Bryn smiled and closed the distance between their mouths, releasing Lorien's arm and instead sliding his hands onto her lower back.

Lorien reached her own hands around Bryn's neck instinctively, pulling him closer. He was still smiling, she could tell.

When they broke apart, Bryn blinked a couple of times before grinning at Lorien. It was that grin she loved – more than she'd ever realised.

She stared at Bryn in a sort of disbelief. 'On second thought,' she said, 'it might have been a bad idea.'

Bryn released her, frowning. 'What do you mean?'

'I mean—now that Mercer is gone, and the Guild is safe, I have to return to the Greybeards – at least for a while. I'm training to be the Dragonborn,' Lorien said, as if just remembering it herself. 'It's been so nice to get away from that for a little while, but... I think Skyrim might need me. I might be the only person who can end the dragon crisis. And I can't just leave that behind.'

'So what you're saying,' Bryn said after a moment, 'is that you're leaving to put yourself in even more danger?'

'I think I need to accept that danger is just part of my life now.'

Bryn nodded. 'It would be unbelievably selfish of me to stop Skyrim's only hope from fulfilling her destiny,' he admitted.

'Don't call me that,' Lorien grimaced.

'So go,' Bryn continued as if she hadn't spoken. 'I'll be w—'

'Don't say you'll wait for me,' Lorien interrupted. 'I have no idea when I'll be back. If I'll be back.'

'Are you ever going to stop interrupting me?'

'Probably not.'

'Good. Don't.'

'Whether you want me to go or not, I have to do this now. I'll come with you to say goodbye, and I'll write if I can, but while I'm gone it's best if you just forget about—'

'I'm not letting you finish that sentence,' Bryn said. He smiled a little. 'I understand, alright? Go train and be the hero of Skyrim. I'll stick to expanding the Guild, now that the curse has been lifted. And when I hear tales of the mighty Dragonborn, I'll tell anyone who will listen that I kissed her once.'

Lorien laughed. 'Twice,' she said after a moment.

'Hm?'

'You can tell them you kissed her twice.'


	24. Arngeir, Buddy, You Okay?

When Lorien and Bryn finally got back to Riften and stopped for a drink, Keerava had a letter for Lorien.

'From the Greybeards,' Lorien told Bryn. 'They... don't think I should go to Riverwood. Arngeir suspects that the note was left by—the Blades?'

Bryn raised his eyebrows at that.

'Who are they?'

'That's not as easy to answer as it used to be,' Bryn said, sighing. 'The Blades were once members of an elite group, who hunted dragons and protected the Dragonborn emperors of Tamriel. They were the emperor's eyes and ears for a long time. But after the Great War, almost all of them were killed by the Thalmor. The remaining Blades disbanded – I'm not sure why they would be leaving you a note.'

'Well, it wasn't exactly addressed to me,' Lorien pointed out. 'Just the Dragonborn. They must have known that if a Dragonborn was found, they would be sent to Ustengrav.' It seemed like she was talking to herself more than Bryn.

He frowned. 'Why would the Greybeards want you to avoid the Blades? Their role was always to assist the Dragonborn.'

'And kill dragons. I don't know if the Greybeard would approve of that – they don't want me to use my... power for violence.'

'But you're the only person who can kill dragons, which is what we need now that they're returning.'

'I suppose the Greybeards don't see it that way.' Lorien flattened the note on the table with more force than was necessary. 'But they can't keep me hidden in High Hrothgar while Skyrim is invaded by dragons. They know I have to help.'

Bryn took the letter and read it himself. 'I think you have to decide for yourself, lass. If you want more training with the... Shouts... then you need the Greybeards. But if you want to pursue the dragons now, I think it's worth talking to the Blades. They'll know a lot more about combat.'

Lorien nodded, looking at the table.

'Did you hear?' a man was saying nearby. He took another swig of his drink as his companion waited. 'There's been another dragon attack. Near Morthal. Two of the houses caught on fire, you know.'

Lorien glanced over at the man, then looked at Bryn. 'I'm not sure that it's about what I want,' she told him. 'It's what everyone else needs. I have to be the _Dovahkiin_ now – the born hunter of dragons.'

* * *

Lorien couldn't tell whether or not Arngeir was happy to see her again. He was certainly eager for her to be back in High Hrothgar, but he didn't smile or welcome her as warmly as before.

'Is something wrong?' Lorien asked Arngeir, hurrying to keep up as he began heading down a corridor.

'It was too soon to send you after the Horn,' he told her.

'I stayed here for sixth months before you—'

'And look what's happening now. The Blades know of your existence, and are trying to claim you for their own.'

'The note didn't have my name on it. The Blades could have put it there years ago in the hope that a Dragonborn would come along at some point.'

'It was the Shout,' Arngeir muttered, more to himself than to Lorien. 'We Shouted for you when we first sensed your presence – but of course the Blades heard it too. We could not have known they were still here.'

Lorien frowned. 'Why is it so bad that the Blades know I'm here?'

Arngeir turned back to look at her as they reached Lorien's room. 'This is exactly why you must stay. You don't understand yet, but you will.' He opened the door and ushered her inside. 'Change out of that armour and join us in the entry hall.'

Lorien turned back towards the door just as Arngeir shut it. She blinked, staring for a second, then tried the handle. It wasn't locked, which surprised Lorien given the way Arngeir had been talking.

She took her armour off, as Arngeir had instructed, and dressed in her old robes. She found that she had a new distaste for them after a little while in her Guild armour.

When Lorien opened her door again, the corridor behind it was eerily quiet. She followed it back to the entry hall, where all of the Greybeards were waiting for her.

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to go straight to Riverwood.

'Lorien,' Arngeir said as she entered. 'You have failed to return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller to us.'

'Because it was taken by someone else,' Lorien insisted. Arngeir held up a hand.

'We understand the circumstances, and have decided that your safety is more important than the Horn. You will remain with us in High Hrothgar.'

'But—'

'First, we must formally recognise you as the Dragonborn, which you have proven yourself to be. Please stand in the centre of the hall.'

Lorien hesitated, then did as Arngeir said. All the Greybeards were facing her.

'We will speak to you in the dragon tongue. A true Dragonborn will not be harmed by this.'

There didn't seem to be much choice in the matter. Lorien reasoned with herself that the last things the Greybeards would want to do was hurt her.

This felt a little rushed, though. It would make more sense if Lorien had returned with the Horn, but she'd failed her mission. Now all of a sudden, the Greybeards had agreed to recognise her as the Dragonborn – something she'd been hoping for since Arngeir had first mentioned it to her.

So Lorien felt uneasy. Arngeir was acting strangely, and she was sure if the other Greybeards could speak to her they would be too. Something was off... but she wanted to be the Dragonborn. She _needed_ to be the Dragonborn. And once the Greybeards recognised her as such, everyone else would too.

She stood in the centre of the room, and the Greybeards began chanting.

' _Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau_.'

Lorien felt their words rush against her. She was nearing fluency in the Dovah language, but couldn't possibly translate while being pushed at from all directions at once. There was nowhere to go, but the force remained relentless.

' _Naal Thu'um, mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth_.'

It was only when Lorien felt that she could take no more that the chant came to an end.

' _Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok_.'

A weight seemed to fall away from Lorien. She realised that she was on her knees, and stood up. The Greybeards were right – she hadn't been harmed, but she was a little shaky.

'What did that... mean?' she asked Arngeir, who came forward to help her up.

Arngeir looked her in the eyes. ' _Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it to you now, in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of Old. You are Ysmir now, dragon of the North. Hearken to it_.' He sighed, then gave Lorien a small smile. 'High Hrothgar is your home now.'

Lorien blinked in surprise. Her home? She liked High Hrothgar very much, but not the idea of being told where her home was to be.

'We will continue your training,' Arngeir was saying.

'But what about being the Dragonborn?' Lorien interrupted.

'The Dragonborn? That is who you are, Lorien. We are teaching you how to use your gifts.'

'But... the dragons are back. And I'm the only person who can kill them. Aren't I?'

Arngeir hesitated. 'That is not quite true. You are the only person who can absorb a dragon's soul.'

'Which is the only way to kill it.'

'Which is the only way to ensure it cannot be revived. This is not the same thing.' A little agitation had entered Arngeir's voice.

'While the dragons can be revived, they're a danger to Skyrim,' Lorien insisted. 'I should be out there, helping people—'

'By hunting down and killing dragons?' Arngeir finished for her. He looked angry, but it was hard to tell. 'That is not the meaning of being Dragonborn. This is exactly why you require more training.'

'How long will I be training here?' Lorien asked, exasperated.

'As long as it takes,' Arngeir replied. Lorien wondered why she'd expected a more helpful answer. 'We will reach a compromise regarding the dragons. Until then, you will continue to learn. Understood?'

Lorien knew, logically, that the Greybeards had no hold over her. She could leave whenever she wanted, find out who these Blades were, do what she was _supposed_ to do...

But perhaps a compromise was possible. And if it was, she didn't want to go against the Greybeards' wishes so blatantly.

'Understood,' she said quietly.


	25. Letters to a Thief

_Bryn,_

_Sorry it's taken me SUCH a long time to write. Hardly anyone comes up to High Hrothgar, so it's difficult to get my letters outside of its walls. I'd take them to Ivarstead myself, but the Greybeards don't seem to trust me to go alone – and none of them can come with me._

_Master Arngeir has allowed me to go down the mountain ONCE since I returned here, because Klimmek didn't show up with supplies. The Greybeards do need to eat, although you wouldn't think so with all the time they spend meditating._

_They're teaching me the Dovah language, which I'm enjoying more than I expected to. But the growing dragon problem is always at the back of my mind. Is there any more news? I heard in Ivarstead that Rorikstead was hit._

_I can't stay up here while near-defenceless villages are being attacked. I've tried to talk to Arngeir, but he's always 'busy'. Busy doing what? Nothing that I can see._

_I'm going to try and organise this mysterious 'compromise' with him today. Wish me luck._

_How is the Guild faring? Far better now that you have the Eyes and the Skeleton Key, I'm sure! I know the Key had to be returned to the Sepulcher, but don't tell me you weren't even a little tempted to keep hold of it._

_Is Karliah back? Is she in charge yet? Something tells me she is. And what about you? I want to know everything there is to know._

_Wish you were here. No – wish I were there._

_\- Lorien_

_Bryn,_

_Can you believe it's been a month since my last letter? I'm trying to write more, really I am. I write lots, because there's nothing else to do, but most of it is just for my own reading._

_It's the sending of the letters that's difficult. It's a good thing you're patient, or you would have given up on me by now._

_But onto more important things – Master Arngeir and I agreed to a compromise of sorts! I'm not sure how I feel about it._

_He maintains that I don't need to be involved in the killing of dragons, and that I need only be there to absorb the dragon's soul. So the Jarls of each Hold now write to Ivarstead when there has been a dragon attack, and the Greybeards are informed. Soon, I will be sent to each place and be taken to the body of the dragon to absorb its soul._

_Of course, this gives me ample opportunity to run away if I want to. But I suppose it does make sense to work this way. I can't be at every dragon attack, so I might as well do what I can by taking the dragon's soul afterwards._

_The Greybeards wouldn't allow me to be at ANY dragon attacks, anyway._

_They don't know about the dragon I killed near Riverwood. I know it sounds strange, Bryn, but... I just knew what to do. I could second-guess the dragon and predict how it would attack. The first time I absorbed a dragon's soul, I felt like I was becoming stronger – more skilled. Maybe part of being the Dragonborn is being better at killing dragons. There's no way for me to find out._

_I still wish I could help more. But this is as good as it'll get for now._

_Tell me all your news. I'll send you a little extra gold for the courier – I know they must charge extra to take the letter up the Seven Thousand Steps!_

_\- Lorien_

_Bryn,_

_I'm glad to hear that Karliah is taking charge of things. I knew she'd come back from the Sepulcher eventually. Has she made you her official second-in-command? Does that mean you have your own room? I want to know everything that's going on._

_I know it's your birthday soon. I would send something, but I've still barely been let out of High Hrothgar. As soon as a dragon attacks somewhere with a shop, I'll do my best to find something for you. Or I'll just buy you a sweetroll when I'm back at the Guild!_

_Back at the Guild... I miss it. I know I've been away for longer before, but that was because I believed there was no chance of going back. Now it's always in the back of my mind._

_I'm making good progress learning the Dovah language, though. I learned recently that there's no word for love. Not a surprise, I suppose, but still sad._

_Los hi pruzah? That means 'are you well'. Zu'u los pruzah, nuz frin wah krif._

_One day I'll write a whole letter in Dovah._

_\- Lorien_

_Bryn,_

_It's been a long time, I know. I spend half of my time travelling from one village or town to the next. The dragon problem is getting worse, so the Dragonborn is in high demand. I've even been recognised once or twice._

_It's nice being able to see so many different places. It is. But when I get to one and there's a house with a burnt up roof, I feel so guilty. I know I probably wouldn't have been there to help anyway, but... there has to be a solution. To stop the dragons once and for all. Shouldn't I be working on that, instead of learning more useless Dovah words and waiting for a dragon to attack?_

_...I went too far. I appreciate the Greybeards' teaching. I know they don't want me to use my gifts for violence. But sometimes I don't think that's their priority. I think they're keeping me in High Hrothgar because they'll do anything to prevent me from joining the Blades._

_I feel a little like a trophy. A little useless. But I can't betray the Greybeards, and I'm doing what I can for now._

_How are you? How is everyone? Tell Rune I say hello. And that I miss him. I miss everyone, even Vex._

_I'm alright, really I am. Sorry this letter has been so dull. I don't have much time to write._

_\- Lorien_

_Bryn,_

_You might not remember this, but I told you a story about pouring soup on a man's head when we first met. Well, you'll never guess who I ran into in Rorikstead! Luckily, I didn't stick around long enough for him to recognise me. Maybe he wouldn't have anyway – I was in armour, and my hair is shorter. And I'm older – nearly twenty now!_

_Erik recognised me, though. It was so good to see him again. His father is a little more relaxed, I think – he lets Erik leave the village and travel to the other Holds if he wants to. But Erik spends a lot of time visiting home anyway. I'm glad he was there when I visited._

_I have to go to Whiterun to collect my payment from the Jarl. It'll be strange being back there again._

_I'll let you know if I'm overcome by an urge to join the Companions._

_\- Lorien_

_Bryn,_

_As much as I liked returning to Ivarstead to find two letters waiting for me, you really don't need to worry. I know I haven't written in what feels like an age, but I'm busy. And boring. There isn't all that much to write about. I never do anything new. But it's good to be helping._

_If there are long silences, assume I'm travelling. It's difficult, with all the moving around and the lack of couriers in Ivarstead. Anyway, I loved reading your letters. I've read them a couple of times each, along with all the books in High Hrothgar. I'll try to buy some more books soon. I have all this gold now – the Jarls of the Holds pay me for each dragon soul I absorb – and nothing to spend it on. Except sending letters, when I ca_

_Bryn,_

_I did write you a letter, or at least part of one, a few weeks ago. But I didn't get to finish or send it, because that was when Arngeir came in and told me there had been a dragon attack in Riften._

_You can't imagine how I felt when he said that. Strangely, my first thought was that I'd be visiting Riften, and therefore you, and I was so excited. Then it all came together in my head – you were in Riften. Riften had been attacked._

_I'm so glad you're alright. I know I said that at the time, but I'm saying it again. It was nice to see you, if only for a few minutes._

_I can't write much – I don't have long. Jarl Balgruuf wants to meet with me. I admit to being a little nervous. Should I be wearing a dress?_

_How are you? Still good, I hope._

_\- Lorien_

_Bryn,_

_I suppose the Blades are more determined than Arngeir expected. The last remaining Blade was at my dinner with Jarl Balgruuf, and wanted to speak with me urgently. She was the person who left the mysterious note at Ustengrav, and when she heard that I was travelling around Skyrim to take the souls of dragons she must have assumed that it was the Greybeards' idea._

_Anyway, she's discovered that the dragons are being resurrected by OTHER DRAGONS. She thinks the Thalmor are somehow behind the whole thing, so we're in the process of hatching a plan._

_This is good! I don't like going behind the Greybeards' back, but Delphine came to me – it's not my fault. And if helping her could actually lead to the end of the dragons... I have to do it._

_The plan could be dangerous. I can't help being a little nervous, but I'm sure with a Blade on my side – the only surviving Blade, too – I'll be fine._

_Don't worry too much. How is everyone?_

_\- Lorien_


	26. Our Hero, Razelan

It had been over a year since Mercer's death. It was Lorien's twentieth birthday, and no one knew it.

At least, she thought as she dressed, she was going to a party. Of sorts.

Her meeting with Jarl Balgruuf a few months ago had been attended by another guest – Delphine. She had wanted to meet Lorien, and had gone through Jarl Balgruuf to do it.

Delphine was seemingly the only Blade left, but you wouldn't have known that from how doggedly she pursued her goal as such – assist the Dragonborn. She'd informed Lorien of her plan to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy and prove that the Thalmor were behind the return of the dragons. It seemed a little far-fetched to Lorien, but she pushed that thought aside immediately. Anything she could do to help, she would.

The party Lorien would be attending at the embassy hadn't been for a few months, but Delphine was reluctant to let Lorien return to High Hrothgar for that time. Lorien went anyway, and told Arngeir what had happened.

He had seemed resigned, more than anything. 'I knew the Blades would find a way to claim you for their own eventually,' he'd told Lorien. 'We have done what we can to prepare you. Do not forget what you have learnt here, Lorien. _Ysmir_.'

Lorien had felt awful leaving after that, but she knew that she had to. She returned to Whiterun, and commenced a different kind of training – with the Companions. Farkas was impressed with how far her sword fighting had come.

When everything was finally ready, and Lorien's armour and weapons had been smuggled into the embassy, she travelled there alone. The invitation was safe in the pocket of the smart clothes she'd been given to wear. Lorien wiggled her toes in the new boots. They were a little too big. She supposed it was better than them being too small, but—

The cart jolted, and Lorien grabbed the sides instinctively. Just a dip in the road.

She was on edge. One the one hand, this was her first step towards preventing dragon attacks altogether, which was what she wanted to do more than anything. On the other hand, she was going alone into the Thalmor Embassy. It would be crawling with people who would kill her on sight, she knew.

 _The benefits outweigh the risks,_ Lorien reminded herself. As long as she found something useful.

Lorien pulled out her invitation and looked at it. That reminded her – she had meant to write to Bryn. She'd been meaning to write to him for several weeks now, but hadn't sent anything yet. It was true that she was busy, but... it was also different, now that they'd barely seen each other for a year. Lorien's letters had become a bit repetitive and detached. Bryn's had become shorter. They had drifted apart a little, and despite not hearing from Lorien for two months, Bryn hadn't sent a second letter as he might have done before. Lorien didn't blame him – she was travelling a lot, and hardly ever able to reply promptly. Bryn was just used to that now. She wondered what it would be like to see him in person again.

Lorien was still thinking about this when the cart jolted once more. She snapped out of her reverie and looked around her. The cart was still moving, but the driver was slumped strangely in his seat.

'Are you alright?' Lorien called out to him. No response.

The cart seemed to be picking up speed slightly. Lorien slowly got to her feet and edged closer to the cart driver, until she was near enough to see the arrow sticking out of his neck.

The cart jolted, and she almost fell over, but steadied herself at the last second. They were definitely moving faster now.

Lorien looked around frantically, supporting herself on the benches of the cart. This had to be the work of bandits who meant to rob her, surely. But where were they?

There – a horse. Just one, though. The horse was dark, dark brown – almost black – and its rider was dressed in fitted black and red armour. Lorien frowned, clutching onto the sides of the cart. She didn't recognise that armour at all. Who were they?

As the horse drew closer, Lorien realised all of her armour and weapons had been smuggled into the Embassy. The rest of her belongings were with Delphine. All she had on her was the dagger in her boot.

Despite the cart's increasing speed, the lone horse was gaining on Lorien. She glanced back at the driver's body, wondering if she could take his place and drive the cart to safety. But no – she could easily be shot that way, and the rider would catch up to her anyway.

He was drawing level with the cart now. He couldn't shoot Lorien while riding, surely? Lorien crouched even so, then flattened herself against the floor of the cart. She felt rather than saw it start to veer to the side, and realised the lone rider was trying to cause the cart to crash. Lorien peered over the top of the cart for a moment, just in time to see the rider unleash a blast of fire from one hand. The reins caught the flame, and the horse itself whinnied in fear. The fire only caused it to move faster.

Lorien could only watch as the reins weakened, then snapped one after the other. She gripped the edge of the cart as the horse galloped away, and she continued moving.

It wasn't long before the cart hit another bump in the road. This time, it veered wildly and tipped to one side. Lorien lost her grip and tumbled out, hitting her head hard on the ground. The cart skidded away from her on its side.

Instincts told Lorien to get up and run, but whoever that man was had a horse and a bow. She wouldn't get away. Instead, she stayed on the ground, her eyes closed and remaining as still as possible.

She heard footsteps nearing her. Perhaps this was a bad idea. What else could she do?

' _Vita_ ,' a man's voice said, muffled by a cowl. Lorien swore internally. She had heard that spell before – it detected living things.

She heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed, and a sigh. She opened her eyes the tiniest amount, and saw the man standing beside her.

'Wait—' the man said, but Lorien didn't. She flicked her leg outwards and into his shin. He cried out and stumbled backwards a little, giving Lorien the second she needed to get to her feet.

She drew her knee up to her chest and grabbed hold of the dagger in her boot. When she had the hilt in her hand, she kicked out at the man again, this time hitting him in the stomach. He staggered backwards and Lorien grabbed his sword arm, twisting it away from his body until he yelled in pain and his grip on the blade loosened. Lorien slid her own hand to his and grabbed the blade, throwing it away from them. The man reached for her with his now-free arm, but Lorien crouched, dodging his hand, and stuck her dagger in the man's ankle.

He crumpled to the ground. 'Wait!' he yelled again.

Lorien called upon the power she'd gained when Nocturnal had made her a Nightingale – the ability to become invisible. Within an instant, she had vanished.

* * *

Lorien rode for a long time, during which she examined herself. Her coat was ripped, but other than that, she'd managed to escape unscathed. If she took the damaged coat off, perhaps she'd still be able to get into the party.

Eventually, the horse walked through Dragon's Bridge, and Lorien perked up a little. They were near Solitude, which meant they were near the embassy. It also meant she finally knew where she was, and that she was going the right way.

When Lorien arrived at the party, she was early despite everything that had happened. Malborn had advised that she wait until there were several other guests inside, so as not to draw attention to herself or be stuck talking to Elenwen alone. Lorien had planned a basic cover story, but it wouldn't withstand persistent questioning.

To kill time, Lorien waited outside the embassy for a while. She hid her torn coat, then got cold and put it back on. She spoke aloud to herself in Dovah, just to practise.

' _Zu'u los rinik krah_ ,' she announced. ' _Zu'u laan aan... aan_...' Lorien didn't know the Dovah word for 'drink'. But she wanted one.

After a while of watching guests go into the embassy, Lorien decided it was safe enough for her to enter. As soon as she went through the gates, she was approached by an elf in Thalmor armour.

'Welcome to the Thalmor Embassy,' she said. 'Your invitation, please.'

Lorien reached into her pocket and presented the only slightly crumpled invitation. The Altmer moved her torch closer, then nodded.

'Thank you. Go right in.'

Lorien smiled and did just that. As soon as she entered, she was approached by another Altmer.

'Welcome,' she said, looking Lorien up and down. 'I don't believe we've met. I am Elenwen, Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim. And you are?'

Lorien inclined her head. 'My name's Lorien. Pleased to meet you.'

'Lorien?' Elenwen repeated. 'I've heard that name. Aren't you—'

'Ambassador Elenwen!' a familiar voice called.

Elenwen sighed and turned around. 'What is it, Malborn?'

Lorien spotted him then, behind the nearby bar. 'It's just that we've run out of the Alto Wine. Do I have your permission to uncork the—'

'Do what you must! I told you before not to bother me with such things!'

Malborn nodded, glancing almost imperceptibly at Lorien. 'Of course, Madam Ambassador.'

'My apologies,' Elenwen said to Lorien. 'We'll have to get better acquainted later.'

'I hope we have the chance,' Lorien replied amicably. Elenwen gave her a small smile before leaving. Lorien immediately turned to the bar.

'What can I get for you?' Malborn asked, a little louder than was necessary. Then, 'You made it in. Good job.'

'It wasn't as easy as it should've been,' Lorien told him.

'Here you go, ma'am – the finest Colovian brandy,' he announced. 'What happened?'

'An assassination attempt.' Lorien took the drink. 'I escaped – obviously – but I have no idea who it was.'

'Red and black armour?'

Lorien nodded.

'Sounds like Dark Brotherhood,' Malborn sighed. 'I'll have to tell Delphine. The Brotherhood don't give up easily, and we don't want one of their assassins after you.'

'Dark Brotherhood?' Lorien repeated. 'I don't understand – why would someone want me dead?'

'I couldn't say,' Malborn shrugged. 'But don't worry. You're under the Blades' protection, after all.'

Lorien nodded nervously. 'What do we do next?'

'I need you to cause a distraction,' Malborn told her. 'While everyone's attention is elsewhere, return here and I'll sneak you out.'

'Got it,' Lorien said, glancing around the room. She left the bar and took a seat on a nearby bench to survey the guests.

Soon enough, a man sat down next to her. 'What's a fellow gotta do to get a drink around here?' he asked Lorien.

She shrugged. 'Order one from the bar?'

The man laughed. 'That elf won't serve me anymore. Said I've had more than enough, and Elenwen wouldn't want me disrupting the party.'

Disrupting? Lorien frowned, then quickly smiled. 'What a spoilsport. You've been perfectly polite so far!'

'I have!' the man insisted, his words slurring slightly. 'And no one else appreciates it!'

Lorien patted him on the knee. 'Don't worry – I do. You can have my drink.'

He looked astounded for a second, then grinned widely. 'So there is one generous soul amongst this gathering of pinch-pennies and _lick-spittles_!' He took the brandy enthusiastically. 'I'm Razelan, by the way. If there's anything I can ever do for you, don't _hesitate_ to call upon me!'

Lorien smiled conspiratorially. 'Actually... there is something you could do.'

'Wonderful!' Razelan said in a thick voice. 'I can begin to repay your generosity _immediately_. Sing on, friend!'

'I need you to cause a scene. Get everyone's attention for a few minutes.'

'Is that all? Ah, my friend – you've come to the right person. You could say that causing a scene is... somewhat a speciality of mine.' Razelan stood up from his seat. 'Stand back and behold my handiwork!'

Lorien backed away, nearing the bar where Malborn was as Razelan approached the centre of the room.

'Attention everyone!' he called. 'Could I have your attention, please? I have an... announcement to make.'

Lorien leaned over the bar. 'Let's go,' she said to Malborn.

Razelan was still going. 'I propose a toast to _Elenwen_! Our mistress!' He laughed. 'I speak figuratively, of course. Nothing could be more unlikely than that someone would actually want her in their bed.'

Malborn nodded quickly and led Lorien through the door behind him as Razelan shouted.

'Although... most of you are already _in_ bed with her! But again! I speak figuratively, of course...'

Lorien and Malborn emerged into a small corridor full of barrels and shelves. They hurried onwards through another door, this time into a kitchen.

'So far, so good,' Malborn murmured. 'Let's hope no one saw us slip away.'

A voice spoke from the shadows. 'Who comes, Malborn? You know I don't like strange smells in my kitchen.' It was the chef, a Khajiit woman.

'A guest,' Malborn told her firmly. 'She's feeling ill. Let the poor girl be.'

'A guest?' the chef echoed. 'In the kitchens? You know this is against the rules.'

Malborn stopped walking and stared the chef down. 'Rules, is it, Tsavani? I didn't realise that eating moon sugar was permitted. Perhaps I should ask the ambassador—'

'Get out of here,' Tsavani interrupted. 'I saw nothing.'

Malborn nodded and led Lorien into the adjoining larder. He closed the door behind them.

'Your gear is in that chest,' he told Lorien, gesturing. 'I'll lock the door behind you. Don't screw this up.'

Lorien raised an eyebrow. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence.'

'Just hurry up,' Malborn sighed. 'If anyone misses me at the party, we're both dead.'

Lorien knelt and opened the chest, grabbing her armour, her sword – the Nightingale blade that Karliah had given her before she left for High Hrothgar – a dagger, and her bow. Then she changed as quickly as she could while Malborn stared at the wall, his arms crossed.

'I'm ready,' Lorien told him.

'Good. I've got to get back. And, Lorien – good luck.'

Lorien smiled briefly. 'Thank you for helping me.'

Malborn nodded and shut the door behind Lorien. She heard the lock click – no going back.

There was an open door directly in front of Lorien, and as she neared it she heard voices.

'Did you see those robes march in this morning?' someone was asking. 'Who're they with? More of the Emissary's treaty enforcers?'

'No, they're High Mages – just in from Alinor. I guess Herself is finally getting worried about all the dragon attacks.'

Lorien frowned as she crept past the door. That didn't match up with Delphine's suspicions – but perhaps not all members of the Thalmor would know if their leaders were behind the dragons' return.

'Ah, good,' the first voice said. 'I've been wondering how we were supposed to defend this place from a dragon.'

'If a dragon does show up, maybe we'll get lucky and it'll eat the mages first. Might give us enough time to kill it.'

'Ha! I'd like to see those arrogant bastards taken down a notch. Always looking down their noses as us lowly footsloggers.'

Laughter from both the Thalmor. 'I couldn't agree more. But we'd better get back to our rounds.'

Lorien slipped into the next room and found it empty. On a side table were some neatly folded black and gold robes. Thalmor robes. She picked them up and held them in front of her – a little too large. Perhaps they'd fit over her armour, though.

She hurried behind a nearby screen and pulled the robes over her head. Her armour was perfectly fitted, so the robes went over them easily enough and the hood partially hid her face. She grabbed the Thalmor gloves too, and pulled them on. It wasn't the most comfortable getup, but it was an adequate disguise.

Unfortunately, the two Thalmor guards were wearing Elven armour – not robes. Lorien discovered this when one entered the room where she was hiding.

She drew her dagger and watched him until he turned to leave the room, then crept up behind him. He had just begun to turn, frowning, when Lorien slit his throat.

He began to slump and Lorien caught his weight – just. She released his body gently, wincing when the armour hit the floor. No reaction from the other guard. Slowly, Lorien dragged the body behind the screen until it was hidden.

Eventually, the second guard entered and Lorien carried out the whole process again. She listened out for a while, and when no one came running she deemed it safe to move on.

The door out into the courtyard wasn't far – just through the room the two guards had been talking in originally. Lorien edged outside slowly, peering over the stone wall to assess the danger.

She spotted one guard immediately, walking across the courtyard. Then another, then a third. This wasn't good. Did she dare rely on the disguise?

Hesitantly, Lorien stood up straight. She turned her face away from the courtyard slightly, but caught sight of a guard looking over at her. He didn't attack her.

Lorien kept moving, forcing herself to move at a normal speed. But she had to get close to the guards to reach the door opposite – they'd see her face. Unless she was invisible, of course.

She walked with her head bowed until she neared the door to what she knew was Elenwen's Solar. When a Thalmor dressed in the same robes as her approached, she vanished.

The Thalmor cried out, and immediately the guards hurried to his side.

'Search the courtyard!' the robed Thalmor was yelling. 'There is an intruder in the Embassy!'

The guards did as he said, and as they spread across the courtyard Lorien slipped into the Solar.

The first thing she heard was another voice – not an Altmer, judging by the accent.

'But I need that money!' he was insisting. 'I earned it! I have my own expenses, you know—'

'Silence!' a second voice interrupted. 'Do not presume, Gissur. You are most useful, but do not presume. We have other informants who are less... offensive.'

'But no one else has brought you such valuable information, have they? Etienne – he's talked, hasn't he? He knows where that old man you're looking for is! He told me himself.'

Lorien froze, halfway across the room. Etienne? They couldn't mean the Etienne she knew from the Guild, could they? Bryn hadn't mentioned anything about anyone going missing...

'You'll get your money when he's told the rest of his story, as agreed.'

'So he _has_ talked!' Gissur said, almost laughing. 'I knew it!'

'Everyone talks in the end. Now, I have work to do. Leave me to it if you ever want to see the rest of your payment.'

Lorien hurried towards the stairs and crouched behind the stone bannister.

'I could help you,' Gissur insisted. 'He'd talk to me. He trusts me.'

The other voice laughed cruelly. 'You'd like to come downstairs with me, is that it, Gissur? Shall we loosen his bonds and put you in a cell together? You can ask him anything you like and see how he answers.'

'No... no. I'll wait outside.'

'That would probably be best. Get out.'

Lorien continued up the stairs as Gissur left the room he'd been in and continued out of the building. She watched him go, but couldn't see his face. If he and that Thalmor had been talking about Etienne Rarnis... it spelt trouble for the Guild.

She kept moving, and eventually came across a chest. It was unlocked, and in the bottom were two sheets of folded paper, two books and a key. Lorien pocketed the key, then grabbed the first sheet of paper.

 _First Emissary Elenwen,_ it read,

_We anticipate a breakthrough in our efforts to uncover the party or power behind the dragon resurrection phenomenon. An informant has identified a possible lead, whom we have brought back to the Embassy for a full interrogation. The subject is obstinate, but by all indications is holding back the information we seek. I have authorised Intermediate Manual Uncoiling – I do not expect more will be necessary, unless you feel time presses._

_I know you prefer to be present for the final questioning; I will inform you immediately when the subject is fully receptive. Two days tell the tale._

_In the meantime, if you wish to audit our technique, your expertise is welcome as always. I have placed the prisoner in the cell closest to your office stairs, for your convenience._

Lorien crumpled the letter in her hand, disgusted. There was a final page in the chest.

_One more thing – I have been considering your plan to eliminate the Dragonborn, and have come to the conclusion that I support it wholeheartedly. Whoever is behind the return of the dragons must also value the continuation of the Civil War, and we would do well not to cross them. This 'Dragonborn' is a young Redguard who goes by the name of Lorien. I wish you luck._

_\- Rulindil, 3rd Em._

Lorien stared at the page for a few seconds after reading it, then pocketed it along with the first page. It seemed she had escaped one assassin only to enter the embassy of another.

She grabbed the two books from the chest and stuffed them into the satchel on her belt. Then she continued down the nearby stairs and through the next door.

She emerged on a balcony overlooking a dimly lit room. There were two Thalmor below her, one of whom was just opening a barred door opposite where Lorien was.

'Stop... please,' a weak voice said from somewhere in the cell. 'I don't know anything else. Don't you think I'd have told you already?'

Etienne's voice – Lorien recognised it immediately. The Thalmor didn't listen to him, and began beating him savagely. Lorien almost yelled and gave herself away.

'Silence!' the Thalmor said with another punch. 'You know the rules. Do not speak unless spoken to. Master Rulindil will ask the questions.'

Rulindil. That name had been on the letter. He wanted Lorien dead, and he was in this room.

'Let's begin again,' the man Lorien assumed to be Rulindil said as she edged away from the balcony and into the nearby room.

'No... for pity's sake, I—'

'You know the rules.'

'I've already told you everything.' This led to another blow.

'Start at the beginning, as usual. If you persist in this stubbornness I'll have to—'

'No, wait. I was just... catching my breath. Why wouldn't I tell you again? I don't even know anything...'

Lorien hurried down the stairs, drawing her dagger. She crept up behind Rulindil as he spoke – he was sat with his back to the doorway. A foolish error.

When she leapt up behind him and pressed her knife against his throat, everyone froze.

'Hurt him again,' Lorien said through her teeth, 'and I slit your Master Rulindil's throat.'

The Thalmor guard backed away from Etienne and out of the cell, his hands slightly raised.

Etienne craned his neck to see, then cried out. 'Lorien!'

' _Lorien_?' Rulindil echoed. Lorien pressed the knife against his neck harder.

'You found me,' she murmured in his ear. 'Lucky for me, I found _you_ first.' She whipped the knife across Rulindil's neck without another moment's hesitation. The guard almost screamed and drew his weapon, but Lorien was one step ahead.

' _Wuld_!' she yelled, the dagger still in her hand. She surged forwards, propelled by the shout, until her dagger sunk into the guards stomach. He dropped his weapon and sank to the ground, groaning.

Lorien withdrew her dagger and hurried into Etienne's cell.

He was wearing only a pair of ragged trousers, and his arms stretched unnaturally above his head, shackled to the wall. His bare chest and stomach were covered with wounds, dried blood still staining the skin around them, and his hair fell untamed over his face. He shook it back when he saw Lorien.

'I can't believe you're here,' he said as she prised open his shackles. ' _Why_ are you here? Did Karliah send you? But – you left the Guild!'

'This is a... Dragonborn mission. And I never left the Guild,' Lorien told him quickly. He fell onto the floor as soon as his wrists were released. Lorien pulled her stolen Thalmor robes off and handed them to him. 'I know this is probably the last thing to want to wear right now,' she said, 'but it's all I have. Take my dagger, too.'

Etienne did as she said, albeit slowly and shakily. Then he stared at her. 'You shouldn't be here. I heard them talking about the Dragonborn—'

'I know. They want me dead. But we're nearly done here, I promise. You can go back to the Guild.'

'And you?'

'I...' Lorien wasn't sure. 'I could accompany you back.'

'Listen,' Etienne said with new urgency. The Thalmor are after some old guy named Esbern. Something to do with the dragons.'

Lorien frowned. 'Go on.'

'I've seen a guy in Riften who they seem to think is him. Not much to go on – I don't even know where he lives, or his name. But they seemed pretty excited about it.'

Lorien hurried out of the cell, and knelt by a nearby chest. Inside was a book, which she grabbed.

'Here,' she said as she read. 'Esbern – he's one of the Blades. If he's still alive, I have to find him. The Thalmor want to capture him to figure out the cause of the dragons returning. And they say he's in Riften too, hiding...' She looked up from the book. 'I will come back to Riften with you. I need to get Esbern to safety.'

Etienne nodded, looking a little confused. 'This way – there's a trapdoor. It must lead somewhere.'

Lorien followed him, but found the trapdoor locked. She glanced at Etienne, who froze as footsteps sounded above them.

'Listen up, spy,' someone called. There was the sound of a weapon being unsheathed. 'You're trapped in here, and we have your accomplice. Surrender immediately, or you both die.'

Another voice – Malborn's. 'Forget it. I'm dead already.'

'Silence, traitor. Move. Slowly.'

Lorien looked up, trying to figure out where the guards were.

'She has to be in here somewhere,' one of them was saying. Slowly, Lorien drew her bow.

'Stay hidden,' she mouthed to Etienne. After a moment, he nodded. Lorien slid an arrow from her quarrel and notched it to her bow.

The Thalmor guards were coming down the stairs now. Lorien aimed for the guard at the rear first, and killed him in one shot.

His armour clanked horribly as he fell, and both Malborn and the other guard turned instantly. While they were facing away from her, Lorien readied another arrow and fired once more.

The second guard was killed, and Malborn looked around him wildly as Lorien emerged from her hiding place.

'Lorien!' he cried. 'Thank the gods. I thought you'd been killed for sure – this place is crawling with guards, and Elenwen noticed you were missing. She was looking out for you—'

'Because she wants me dead, I know,' Lorien sighed. 'Let's just get out of here. I have the information we need.'

Malborn nodded as Lorien searched the guards. They both had keys to the trapdoor, and soon enough Lorien, Etienne and Malborn had all clambered through it into the caves below.

* * *

After all three of them had escaped the Embassy, Malborn practically disappeared. Lorien had no idea where he was headed, and didn't question him about it. Etienne thanked her for helping him several times over before leaving for the Guild again. Lorien stopped in Riverwood on her own way to Riften, to tell Delphine what she had learnt – mainly that the Thalmor knew nothing about the dragons, and that Esbern was alive.

Delphine was shocked, and advised that Lorien checked the Ratway. 'Speak to a man named Brynjolf,' she called as Lorien left. 'He's... well-connected.'

Lorien froze on her way up the stairs. Brynjolf.

'It's a good starting point, at least,' Delphine added.

After a moment, Lorien nodded and continued up the stairs. 'I'll be sure to talk to him.'


	27. Would Be a Shame if Something Happened to Bryn

When Lorien finally arrived in Riften, her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. She held her hands out in front of her – they were shaking.

 _Calm down_.

Lorien had felt this anxiety before, but ever since coming to Skyrim her confidence had gradually grown. Now all of a sudden she was right back where she started, all because she was going to see Bryn.

She spotted him after a short while, emerging from the Bee and Barb. He was shouting to someone inside as he left – Lorien couldn't hear him from where she was. _Look over here,_ she urged silently. _Just a little bit this way._

He didn't look. Lorien stared at the water below her, wondering what to do next. Talk to Bryn? Go to the Ragged Flagon and ask around there? Go straight to the Ratway?

By the time she looked up again, she'd lost sight of Bryn.

Sighing, Lorien began to walk towards the Guild. She ran her hand along the wooden railing, lost in thought, until a sharp pain in her finger snapped her out of it. A splinter. Narrowing her eyes, Lorien eased the wood out of her finger and flicked it into the water below.

A board creaked behind her. 'Were you planning to leave without paying my stall a visit, Lorien?'

Lorien turned on the spot, already knowing who it was. But he'd changed. His hair was a little longer – on his face as well as his head – and he looked... older. Not old, but a little more mature, perhaps.

She was staring. 'I, uh... actually just arrived.'

Bryn nodded, and looked at her, and Lorien was fairly sure they were thinking the same thing – there was no picking up where they'd left off. Things had changed. _They_ had both changed.

So friends it was. This made it a little easier for Lorien to relax. She smiled. 'How is everyone? Has the Guild fallen apart in my absence yet?'

Bryn gave an obligatory laugh. 'Not yet, but it's a good thing you're back. It was coming close.' He paused. 'Why _are_ you back?'

'Dragon business,' Lorien said. Might as well get that out of that way – this was a temporary visit, nothing more.

'Ah, of course. Bored of that yet?'

'On the contrary, Bryn – it's just getting exciting.'

He smiled a little. 'Bryn. No one calls me that anymore.'

'Sorry,' Lorien said quickly. 'I suppose I should be more respectful to the Guild's second in command.'

Bryn looked at her again. _More respectful? That's the last thing I want._

'Well, Rune certainly isn't,' he said. 'So it's up to you. What, uh... dragon business is there in Riften?'

'There's supposed to be a crazy old man hiding somewhere here,' Lorien told him. 'I'm asking around the Guild.'

'Good idea.' Bryn nodded, and Lorien was about to turn and leave when he stopped her. 'Wait – Lorien?'

She turned around instantly, unsure of what she hoped he'd say.

He didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then, 'Is it true you saved Etienne's life?'

Lorien sighed. 'The Thalmor were torturing him. I just released him.'

'And got him out of there alive,' Bryn pointed out. 'Thank you. We had no idea where he was.'

'The Thalmor cover their tracks,' Lorien shrugged. She turned away again. 'See you around, Brynjolf.'

'I'll be here.'

It was only once Lorien had left that she realised – Bryn hadn't called her 'lass' once.

She dismissed the thought and made her way to the Guild's secret entrance. As she bent to press her hand against the shadowmark, she tried to work out how long it had been since she'd last been inside the Guildhall. Over a year – a year and a half?

It felt no less familiar, but Lorien found that she was nervous again. Until she saw Rune, that is.

He grinned widely as soon as he spotted her and practically ran over, immediately pulling her into a hug. 'I knew you'd come back eventually,' he said. He released Lorien from the hug, but held onto her shoulders. 'You haven't changed a bit. Have I?'

'You're taller,' Lorien noted, smiling. 'I feel even shorter now.'

'I'm still not quite as tall as Bryn, as he likes to remind me. What brings you back to the Guild, Lori?'

She felt a pang of guilt. 'It's, uh... related to the dragons.'

'Ah,' said Rune, not letting his enthusiasm fade. 'A temporary visit, then? We'll have to make the most of it.'

'Undoubtedly. I've been dying for one of Talen's drinks.'

'I'm sure that can be arranged! But first – how can the Guild help with the dragons? I thought we were just a bunch of thieves.'

'Oh, you are. But there's supposed to be someone hiding in Riften that we need. I thought Vekel might know something – he usually does.'

Rune nodded. 'Good idea. I'll come with you. I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on... unless you have to leave immediately afterwards?'

Lorien gave him a small smile. 'I'm sure I can stay a little longer. We'll see how this job goes.'

The two of them headed into the Flagon, where Lorien greeted Tonilia and Delvin happily. There was a man she didn't recognise seated there too, but she didn't pay him much attention.

'Lorien!' Vekel called when he saw her. 'Finally returned for a drink, now that you're old enough?'

Lorien laughed and shook her head. 'Unfortunately not. I'm here on business.' She glanced at the stranger, who looked away from her quickly, and lowered her voice. 'Do you know about an old man hiding in Riften, by the name of Esbern?'

Vekel leaned over the bar, frowning. 'I think... I might know the man you mean. Holed up in the Ratway Warrens. Hardly ever leaves the place – has someone bring him food and such.' Lorien nodded as he spoke. 'Crazy old coot, from what I've heard.'

'Thank you,' Lorien said. 'That's exactly what I needed to know.'

'Lorien – be careful. You're not the only one looking for him.' He looked around the Flagon, then stood up straight. 'That man, right there, the one who's leaving – he was one of them, asking about that old guy you're looking for.'

Lorien frowned after the man. He turned his head slightly, and began walking faster.

Lorien quickly thanked Vekel and hurried after the strange man. He continued walking, but turned when Lorien neared him.

'Hey!' she called out. 'What business do you have in the Ragged Flagon?'

'I came for a drink,' the man said shortly. 'Not conversation. Leave me alone.'

Lorien frowned. His voice was familiar. 'Wait,' she said. 'You're—'

Gissur swung at her before she could say another word, his fist connecting with Lorien's stomach. She cried out, hunching over and struggling to catch her breath. Before she could fully straighten again, Gissur landed another punch on the side of her head. Lorien was flung to the side, stumbling wildly before crashing to the ground. Someone was yelling behind her – a long way behind her.

Lorien tried to move away, but Gissur grabbed her ankle and yanked her towards him. The dagger in Lorien's boot pressed against her skin. She jerked herself upwards and grabbed it, pulling it out of her boot in an instant. She thrust it towards Gissur, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted. Lorien yelled in pain and kicked out – her foot connecting with Gissur's groin.

He groaned and his grip on Lorien loosened, just as someone appeared beside Lorien and grabbed her dagger from the floor. They kicked Gissur in the head and he sprawled onto the floor. Lorien scrambled into a sitting position just as her rescuer stabbed Gissur in the heart.

'Vex?' Lorien coughed.

Vex rose, turned the dagger in her hand, and passed it to Lorien. 'You're welcome.' She began searching Gissur's pockets for anything valuable.

'Thank you,' Lorien said, massaging her wrist.

Vex pulled a sheet of paper out of Gissur's pocket and examined it for a few seconds. 'This is about you.'

Lorien shuffled closer and took the note. It read, _Description of target: Redguard female, believed to go by Lorien (may be an alias). Likely to be enquiring about Esbern and the Ratway. Do not approach. Inform your assigned contact immediately if spotted._

Vex watched her as she read. 'Is it?'

'Is it what?'

'Is it an alias? Lorien?'

Lorien glanced over, then shook her head. 'No. That's my name.'

Vex frowned slightly, but was prevented from asking anything more by a muffled sound of shouting through the door to the Flagon.

Lorien got to her feet, a stab of pain going through her right ankle. Ignoring it, she hurried towards the door and threw it open. Everyone behind it froze.

Two Thalmor soldiers and one dressed in robes were in the tunnel, all with weapons drawn. The robed one, who Lorien assumed was a mage, had shoved Bryn against the wall and had the point of his dagger against Bryn's neck.

'That's her,' one of the soldiers said.

Lorien tightened her grip on her dagger. The Thalmor mage smirked.

'Make one move against us, Lorien, and we kill this man – Brynjolf, isn't it?'

'I don't know,' Lorien said evenly. 'I'm not in the habit of affiliating myself with thieves.'

'Really? You were seen speaking with him earlier.'

'I needed directions.'

'He approached you.'

'He was asking if I was lost,' Lorien said through her teeth. 'Just let him go. He's nothing to do with me, and you don't need to kill him.'

The mage shrugged. 'What's stopping me?'

Lorien sighed and drew the other dagger from her belt, so she had one in each hand. 'I've already killed one member of the Thalmor today – I wouldn't mind adding a few more to the list. If a thief gets hurt in the process, so be it.' She tilted her head slightly. 'Or you could just release him, and we can talk civilly. Co-operate.'

After a moment, the mage smiled and whipped the point of his sword across Bryn's neck.

As Bryn slumped to the floor, a scream tore through Lorien's body and was ripped from her throat. She threw herself towards Bryn, landing on her knees next to him. His eyes were wide and glancing around frantically.

A hand grabbed Lorien's armour from behind.

' _No_!' she yelled. 'No! _Please_ —' A sob caught in her throat. She looked up at the Thalmor standing over her. 'Let me heal him and I'll do whatever you want. I'm more use to you alive than dead, aren't I?'

The Justiciar glanced at his fellow Thalmor, then nodded. 'Fine. Heal him if you can.'

Lorien nodded, turning back to Bryn. ' _Resarcio_ ,' she said, covering the horrible gash on Bryn's neck with her hands. Golden light poured from her fingers into the wound, and slowly, slowly, the skin began to knit back together. The blood stopped pouring out, and Bryn closed his eyes.

'You're going to be alright,' Lorien told him, almost choking on the words. 'I'm so sorry. Oh, gods, I'm so sorry.' She put all of her energy into the spell, and felt herself fading as Bryn grew stronger. Finally, the skin of his neck was whole again and he opened his eyes once more.

Lorien broke down the minute the spell died in her hands. She dissolved into sobs that physically hurt, and Bryn pulled himself into a sitting position and grabbed her arm.

'Lorien,' he said urgently. 'What did you do?'

'She made a deal,' the Thalmor Justiciar said from above them. 'Your life for hers, effectively.'

Bryn shook his head. 'No. No, you can't do this. They'll torture you, lass, they'll—'

Lorien squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. 'I'm so sorry,' she said hoarsely. 'Vex, help Bryn. Make sure he gets some rest for the healing to work.'

Bryn gripped Lorien's arm tighter. 'You can't do this. We can fight them—'

'I wouldn't advise it,' the Justiciar said, taking hold of Lorien's other arm and pulling her out of Bryn's grasp. 'Lorien wouldn't dare, you're still weak, and my soldiers can easily take on one thief.' He threw a distasteful look in Vex's direction. She promptly glared back, her hand tightening on her dagger. 'Come along now, Lorien. You healed your friend – it's time for us to go.'

Lorien looked pleadingly down at Bryn – not for him to help her, but for him to forgive her. For everything. He tried to stand, but as soon as he managed it Vex took hold of his arm and held him back.

Lorien staggered backwards, dragged along by the Thalmor, and got one last look at the Flagon before the door was shut behind her and she was pulled into darkness.

She followed willingly. After all, this was what she'd agreed to – although it hadn't felt like a choice. Bryn would have died, and she couldn't let that happen.

But of course, she hadn't exactly had time to think it through. She had no idea what would happen next. Rulindil was dead – Lorien had killed him – so who would be interrogating her? She would undoubtedly be interrogated. About the dragons, most likely, but also the Blades, and the Greybeards, and about Esbern.

 _Esbern_. Lorien had completely forgotten – he was still in the Ratway, and surely the Thalmor would still be looking for him?

'So, Lorien,' the Thalmor Justiciar said. 'I seem to have forgotten my manners. My name is Viniel.'

Lorien stared at the floor as they walked.

'Now, don't look so downcast. This was your choice, remember?'

'The only other option was watching my friend die.'

'Well, you told us yourself that he meant nothing to you. What was I supposed to assume?'

Lorien fell back into silence. It was true, after all.

'So, how much do you know about the return of the dragons? You are the Dragonborn, after all.'

She stayed quiet. If she gave away too much, or revealed that she didn't know enough, the Thalmor might change their minds and go back to hunting Esbern down – and killing anyone that got in their way.

Viniel chuckled and looked sideways at Lorien. 'Not very talkative, are you? No matter. We have ways of loosening your tongue that I'm more than willing to use.'

Lorien felt her stomach erupt in nerves that made her feel sick. _You're saving Bryn's life,_ she reminded herself. _You can get through this._

Of course, she wasn't certain that there was a 'through'. The Thalmor wouldn't let her go, surely, and there was no chance of rescue. The Guild wouldn't know where she was being taken. Delphine would, but she couldn't possibly take on all of the Thalmor. There was no one else who would help her.

'Are you going to kill me, then?' Lorien asked quietly.

Viniel seemed to think this over for a few seconds. Then, 'No, I don't think I am. We need to know about the dragons, and we believe they're being reawakened by someone who wishes to prolong the Civil War.'

'Which you want to do to. I know, I read your dossiers.'

Viniel hesitated. 'Well. I suppose there's no harm in you knowing now. It's not as though you can do anything about it. Yes, of course we wish to prolong the war, and if the dragons will help to do that, we don't want them killed. Do you see where I'm going?'

'I can kill the dragons,' Lorien sighed. 'Which is why Elenwen wants me dead.'

'Precisely. As unlikely as it seems, you are the last Dragonborn. You die, and so does any chance of the dragons being eradicated.'

'Then why aren't you going to kill me?'

'If you'll let me finish, Lorien – I don't necessarily want to eliminate any chance of the dragons being eradicated. They are quite a threat, after all, and if it turns out that they are not working in our favour... well, it would be useful to have a Dragonborn on hand in that situation.' Viniel glanced at Lorien. 'Of course, if you try anything, I won't hesitate to use force. Believe me when I say that none of the Thalmor would mourn your passing.'

Lorien hesitated, listening to the clank of armour ahead of her for a moment. 'So... you're going to keep me imprisoned.'

'Most likely, yes.'

'But my friends know you've captured me. It won't be good for the Thalmor's reputation if everyone finds out you've imprisoned the Dragonborn.'

At that, Viniel actually laughed. 'The only friends who know we've taken you are a few thieves. Do you really think they'll go to the authorities, Lorien? And if they did, who would believe them?'

Lorien sighed, defeated. So be it. She would likely end up telling the Thalmor what she knew – which wasn't much – and would then be locked up indefinitely. If she was ever allowed out, it would only be to work under the Thalmor and kill the dragons if it aided their cause. She almost shuddered. In saving Bryn's life, she truly had given up her own.

And she'd do it again.

* * *

Bryn watched the door to the Flagon swing shut, barely registering Vex's tight grip on his arm. When he finally noticed it and tried to pull away, Vex shook her head firmly.

'If you try to go after them, they'll just kill her on the spot,' she said.

Bryn stared at her, then at the door. He massaged his neck just as Vekel and Tonilia ran over to them.

'What in Oblivion is going on over here?' Vekel asked, breathing heavily. 'I thought the fighting was over!'

'About time you showed up,' Vex muttered, finally releasing Bryn's arm.

Tonilia was staring at the blood all over Bryn's neck and armour. 'What—Bryn? What happened?' She glanced around her. 'Where's Lorien? Wasn't she over here?'

'The Thalmor got her,' Vex said bluntly. 'Where's that old guy they were looking for? Shouldn't we be... protecting him or something?'

After a moment, Vekel nodded. 'I'll take you to him, Vex.'

Vex glanced back at Tonilia as she left. 'Make sure Brynjolf rests. I think he's in shock.'

Tonilia looked over at Bryn warily, then reached out to touch his arm. 'Are you hurt?'

Bryn shook his head. 'Lorien... healed me.'

'What happened, Brynjolf?'

'The Thalmor caught me in the corridor, and tried to use me against Lorien. She... bluffed. Told them she didn't know me, so they cut my throat.'

'By the gods.' Tonilia's hand flew to her mouth.

'Lorien told them she'd go with them willingly if they let her heal me... so they did.'

Tonilia stared at Bryn for a few seconds, her eyes involuntarily flicking to his neck. 'Does it hurt?'

'A little.' Bryn looked down. It had hurt a _lot_ , like nothing he'd ever experienced – like his life was bleeding out of him, which he supposed it had been.

'You should still rest. Shouldn't you?'

Bryn shrugged. 'Lorien seemed to think so.' He glanced to one side to see Rune hurrying towards him.

'Vex told me you were hurt,' he said as soon as he reached Bryn and Tonilia. 'And that Lorien was—'

'Not now,' Tonilia interrupted. 'Bryn needs to rest for the healing to work. I think. You can question him later.'

Rune stared at them both, then nodded silently. His mouth was still slightly agape.

Tonilia thanked him and began leading Bryn towards the Guildhall. After a moment, Rune followed.

None of them said a word.


	28. There's No Amusing Title for This - Pt. 1

Now, listen carefully. I don't want to interrupt the story, of course, but these next two parts are not the happiest. Do you understand? The Thalmor were willing to do anything for information. Even hurting Lorien.

I know the details, as usual. And in my recounting, I've written them. But I'll understand if you don't want to hear these parts. Just skip over this chapter and the next, and then Lorien will be safe again. I promise.

**CONTENT WARNING: torture**

* * *

The Thalmor ended up taking Lorien all the way back to the Embassy.

She didn't know this, because she was blindfolded and well hidden in the cart all the way there. But she guessed it from snatches of conversation she overheard.

When they arrived, Lorien was taken through the Embassy and down several stairways before her blindfold was finally removed.

'I've been here before, you know,' she muttered when she recognised the torture chamber. 'The blindfold wasn't necessary. I already know what the Embassy looks like.'

Viniel smiled. 'You say that as though we don't have bases with torture chambers all over Skyrim.'

'Unless they all look identical, I'm pretty sure this is the same one I rescued my friend from recently. In the Embassy.'

'You happen to be correct – this is the Embassy. The most well-protected Thalmor base in all of Skyrim, especially now that we have such a valuable prisoner.'

Lorien looked at the floor. A valuable prisoner. That meant they really weren't going to kill her. She wondered if she'd been taken to the Embassy to prevent others from getting in to rescue her, or to prevent her from getting out.

And there were so many soldiers here too. More than the two who'd accompanied Viniel – three more had entered as soon as Lorien was brought to the torture chamber. She glanced around her. There was no escape, of course.

'Why so many guards?' Lorien asked, attempting to sound unbothered.

Viniel smirked. 'You do talk a lot, don't you? Not to worry. That'll change soon.'

Lorien's eyes widened as wild thoughts of tongues being cut out or lips being sewn together appeared in her head. Then Viniel brandished a wide strip of cloth, and she calmed down a little.

It still wasn't nice to be gagged. Viniel tied the fabric as tightly as he could over Lorien's mouth so that she couldn't even open it – let alone speak. It was only then that her weapons were taken.

'Remove her armour,' Viniel said in a bored voice.

Lorien instinctively jerked away, but Viniel was holding tightly onto her arm again. One of the guards stepped forwards and she glared.

'I can undress myself,' Lorien said quickly.

The guard glanced to Viniel, who shrugged after a moment. 'Fine. Do it quickly.'

Lorien did, keeping her eyes on the floor the whole time. She left only her boots on, and took the clothes she was given without looking at the guard who handed them to her.

As soon as she'd changed, her armour was taken and she was pushed into her cell. A guard chained Lorien's wrists to the wall. The chains were just about long enough for her to remain standing.

When it was done, Viniel stood in front of the door, looking down at Lorien. 'This will certainly be an interesting interrogation,' he said after a moment. 'Given that you can't speak.' He smiled again, and Lorien looked down. 'But I do like a challenge, and I'm sure you'll be as helpful as possible.'

Lorien was glad for a moment that she was gagged. If she hadn't been, she most likely would've gotten into even more trouble.

The interrogation didn't start immediately. Viniel and the two soldiers that had accompanied him needed food and rest – Lorien was provided with neither of these. With nothing else to do, she ended up staring at each guard in turn. Every now and then she caught one staring back at her. It felt a little like a victory, though she had no idea why.

 _Dragonborn_. No one had warned her of the consequences of bearing that name. They'd told her of the power and the glory, but left out the parts where she was constantly hunted, fought over... tortured.

 _Calm down. They've hardly touched you yet._ Interrogated, then. That was what was coming, Viniel had said so himself. Lorien didn't have a plan. Should she answer honestly? How much did she even know? How much did the Thalmor know? How much patience did they have?

Lorien had seen them beating Etienne herself. She was aware of what would happen to her eventually, whether she knew enough about the return of the dragons or not. Etienne had denied his knowledge over and over – it hadn't stopped Rulindil. It wouldn't stop Viniel.

It wasn't Viniel, however, who next came down the stairs.

It was Elenwen, though Viniel was by her side. The guards immediately stood aside to let her pass, and to give her a good view of the newest prisoner. Lorien looked up – Elenwen was tall.

'I've been told there's good reason to keep you alive,' Elenwen said to Lorien when she reached the cell door. 'You're very lucky. I wanted you assassinated on the spot.'

Lorien knew this. She was still reeling at the word "lucky".

'Nevertheless, I trust Viniel. He has been most useful since Rulindil's... departure.' Elenwen looked at Lorien in a way that confirmed she knew _exactly_ how Rulindil had died. And who had killed him. 'Besides, now that this cell has been so rudely vacated, I suppose we have the room to keep you around. And while you're here, you're not killing any dragons.'

How the Thalmor had twisted that into a good thing Lorien still didn't understand. If only she could tell Elenwen that.

Elenwen tilted her head slightly. 'I've been researching your so-called powers a little, Dragonborn. All you can really do is learn the Dovah language faster than most. Correct?'

After a moment, Lorien nodded.

'Now, of course I understand that these words can be used for... "Shouts". And this is why you're gagged. You see?'

 _I'm not a child,_ Lorien wanted to shout. She nodded again.

'But I need you to understand, Lorien, that even if you had a shout that could kill everyone in this room – which doesn't exist,' Elenwen added, glancing at the guards around her, 'it would be of no use to you to use it. Because you are chained up, and would simply starve down here.'

Lorien stared at Elenwen for a few seconds, then nodded again.

'I'm glad we understand each other.' Elenwen turned to one of the guards, who opened Lorien's cell door and moved towards her. He reached behind Lorien's head and untied her gag, pulling it free of her hair – not gently. Lorien clicked her jaw and stretched her mouth open as soon as she could. Elenwen was watching her closely, but she'd been right – there was no point in Lorien Shouting. She had nowhere to go.

'And now we can speak civilly,' Elenwen said. She nodded to Viniel, who took his seat next to the cell, at the desk that allowed him to see inside without getting too close.

'So. Lorien,' he said. 'Tell me everything you know about the dragons.'

Lorien looked to her right at Viniel, then back towards the door of her cell. The guard hadn't left, and had no intention to. He was unsheathing a knife.

After a few seconds of staring at the blade, Lorien coughed and cleared her throat. _Buy time._ 'You'll need to be more specific.'

'I give the orders around here,' Elenwen reminded her, immediately affronted. She paused. 'But of course, if it will help you to help us... Viniel. A more specific question.'

Viniel obliged. 'Why can you kill dragons when others can't?'

Lorien didn't see too much danger in revealing this – all Nords knew the legend. The Thalmor could have asked almost anyone. 'I'm not the only person that can _kill_ a dragon,' Lorien explained. 'But I can absorb the soul of a dragon. Without a soul, a dragon can never be resurrected, but if it still has its soul... it lies dormant. There will always be the potential for it to be brought back to life.'

'And how does that happen?'

'I don't know.' The guard turned his knife over in his hand, and Lorien's stomach twisted. 'I _don't_. We—I'm just as confused as you are.'

A long pause. 'We?' Viniel echoed. Lorien could hear the smile in his voice.

'I misspoke.'

'Were you referring to the Greybeards? Surely such wise men aren't confused by the dragons?'

'I told you – I don't know anything about it. That's all.'

'Guard,' Viniel said simply. The man in Lorien's cell moved towards her as Viniel continued. 'I think we should devise a system. Every time you lie to me, you get one tally mark cut into your skin. That way, when all of this is over and you've told me what I want to know, we can easily tell how good you were.'

Lorien cringed instinctively away from the guard, but there was nowhere to go. He pulled at the hem of her shirt and Lorien closed her eyes.

'Just one,' Viniel said pleasantly. 'Wherever you like.'

There was silence for a moment. Lorien held her breath as she felt the cold blade over her ribs, then the sudden sharp sting that meant it had pierced the skin. Her mouth opened involuntarily as the guard slashed the knife downwards – burning. She inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.

Viniel was watching everything. 'Too fast,' he said in a bored voice, writing something down. 'Slower next time, guard.'

The guard nodded and stepped back, releasing Lorien's shirt. It fell over the wound and was immediately stained with blood.

'Now,' Viniel continued. He set his quill down and leaned forward a little. 'When you said _we_. Were you referring to the Greybeards – or the Blades?'

Lorien stared at the floor for a moment. If she told the Thalmor the Blades were confused about the dragons, would they leave Esbern alone? Or would they simply kill him, as he was useless to them? Were they targeting the Greybeards too? Surely they wouldn't dare.

'Hurry her up,' Viniel said, and before Lorien could look up a blow struck the side of her head. Her whole body lurched to one side, straining against the manacles that dug into her wrists. She blinked repeatedly, trying to stop the room from spinning around her. Pain was exploding in her head. Her wrists wouldn't stop aching.

'The Greybeards,' she yelled. 'I meant the Greybeards. They don't know anything because they don't care. They let me find dead dragons and absorb the souls – that was all. They never got involved.'

'Then why train with them?'

'They were teaching me the Dovah language, and how to use Shouts. But they don't believe in violence, and they didn't want me to become a... a dragon hunter.'

Viniel wrote this down. Lorien watched him and realised, at some point, Elenwen had left the room.

'So they do not advocate violence,' Viniel repeated, 'yet do not care enough about peace to assist in disposing of the dragons.' He smiled. 'I suppose that works in our favour.'

Lorien sighed. 'How? How can dragons burning down villages and killing innocent people work in your _favour_? They could easily attack this Embassy too. Dragons do not have alliances.'

'They might with those who are resurrecting them,' Viniel pointed out. 'And we had reason to believe those people wish to extend the Civil War – as do we. It makes sense to work together, Lorien. You'll understand someday.'

'But you have no idea who these people are! You don't even know if they are people! You're just making assumptions based on—on what?'

'The dragons returned at the exact moment Ulfric was going to be executed. Without Ulfric, there is no Civil War. It is therefore reasonable to assume that someone else was trying to keep him alive in the interest of prolonging—'

'That's bullshit. It was a coincidence – I was _there_. Surely Elenwen's told you that by now. You can't assassinate and abduct people based on flimsy, circumstantial—'

Viniel stood. 'You need to learn not to interrupt me, Lorien,' he said calmly. 'Guard?'

Before Lorien could open her mouth again, a fist connected with her jaw. Her head jerked backwards and everything vanished.


	29. There's No Amusing Title for This - Pt. 2

**CONTENT WARNING: torture and (kind of) suicide**

When Lorien opened her eyes again, she was slumped on the floor of her cell. She glanced around her frantically, trying to understand what had just happened. One minute she'd been standing up—

Viniel was still sat at his desk, writing idly. The guard had left Lorien's cell, but the door remained open. She blinked a few times.

'She's awake,' one of the guards said.

Viniel looked up, then at Lorien. 'Ah. You were out for a couple of minutes there. I fear we hit you a little harder than intended. Apologies.' He stood up from his seat. 'I hope you won't interrupt me again, Lorien.'

She blinked again, then shook her head.

'Good. We'll speak further tomorrow, I think. I'll have food sent down here at some point.'

He left, but the guards remained. Lorien's stomach growled uncomfortably loudly, and she wondered what "at some point" actually meant.

Eventually – there was no way of knowing how long it had been – someone brought Lorien bread and a jug of water with a cup. She ate the bread immediately. There didn't seem to be much point in saving it. Then she poured out one cup of water and drank it all. She poured another. Drank it all. Realised she might soon regret drinking so much, and set the jug down.

It was interesting that the Thalmor had left her hands relatively free. The shackles were enchanted, as most were in jail cells, to prevent prisoners from casting spells, but there was nothing to stop Lorien from getting to the dagger still concealed in her boot. Not that the Thalmor knew about that, of course. Lorien was lucky they hadn't ordered her to take her boots off.

Still, there was nothing she could do with the dagger. Her cell was always surrounded by at least three guards, and every so often Viniel turned up too. The next day was one of these instances.

'Where is Esbern?' was the first question he asked.

So they hadn't found him yet. Vekel must have hidden him well. 'I don't know,' Lorien said. 'I was searching for him at the same time you were. Remember?'

Viniel wasn't convinced. 'You are a member of the Thieves Guild, and it seems that the Guild were hiding Esbern. Tell me where.'

'No one in the Guild ever mentioned Esbern to me. I don't think they even knew he existed until half of Skyrim decided to hunt him down.'

'You know what happens when you lie to me, Lorien.'

Lorien swallowed, trying not to betray any emotion. 'Good thing I'm not lying, then.'

Viniel wrote something down, then looked up. 'I counted four lies there. Guard?'

One of the guards stepped forwards and unlocked the door. Lorien's eyes widened, and she pressed herself into the corner of her cell.

'My knife is a little blunt,' the guard told Viniel.

He smiled. 'It'll do, I'm sure.'

The guard moved closer and without thinking, Lorien pushed him away. She sunk to the floor, still in the corner, and curled her body so the skin over her ribs couldn't be reached.

Viniel almost laughed. 'She's like a mud crab retreating into a shell. Come on, Lorien. You're testing my patience!'

Lorien shook her head, eyes squeezed shut. 'I'm not lying! I haven't done anything wrong!'

There was a pause, then something heavy hit Lorien in the side. She sprawled face down onto the floor, and as soon as she looked up, it happened again. The guard was kicking her in the side – in the ribs – in the stomach – over and over. Lorien collided hard with the cell wall and tried to flatten herself against it, but a hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her onto her back.

'That makes _six_ lies,' Viniel said. 'Stay still, Lorien.'

'No,' she groaned, but the hand held her down as another yanked her shirt upwards and a blade cut into her skin. Lorien twisted her body and dug her fingernails into her palms and pushed at the armour of the guard above her – to no avail. As the blade pierced her skin for the second time, she pressed her head hard against the stone floor and groaned in pain.

The fourth cut crossed over three new ones and one old. It split the scab open easily, and Lorien felt the old wound burning as it began to bleed again. She sobbed uncontrollably. Two more cuts. One more cut. The knife pulled free.

As soon as the guard released Lorien she curled in on herself again, hiding the new wounds and hugging her arms. Her knees where pressed against her ribs, which didn't help the pain, but there was nothing else she could do. She cried and cried, the sound and the tears hitting the stone floor beneath her.

'Where is Esbern, Lorien?'

'I don't _know_ ,' she said pleadingly. 'He was in Riften somewhere. That's all!'

She waited for the sound of the guard's footsteps coming towards her, but there was nothing. Just Viniel's sigh and a quill scratching on paper. 'Well, we knew that much,' he muttered. 'It seems he's been moved somewhere else. Our soldiers searched all over Riften – especially the Thieves Guild.'

Lorien opened her eyes fully and looked up at Viniel from the floor. He was blurry. 'Did they hurt anyone?'

'Who can say?' Viniel smiled. 'Is it likely the thieves would have stood in their way?'

 _Yes,_ Lorien thought. _Please, please, let them all be alright._

'Do you think it's likely that the Guild are hiding Esbern, Lorien?'

'No,' she groaned, pushing herself up into a sitting position. 'No. The Guild don't take sides in fights that aren't their own. They wouldn't get involved.'

The quill scratched against the paper again. 'I see. I wonder who has him, then. Another surviving Blade?'

Lorien shook her head. 'I don't think there are any.'

Viniel stared at her for a few seconds, but didn't announce that she was lying. 'We'll have to keep looking. I'll be back tomorrow, Lorien.'

Lorien said nothing in response. She simply curled up in the corner of her cell and cried quietly as the fresh cuts in her skin continued to sting.

Viniel did come back the next day. He only asked a few questions, and Lorien wasn't hurt any further. The day after that, she was woken by the sound of her cell door opening.

Instinctively, she flattened herself against the back wall the moment she opened her eyes. It wasn't a guard entering the cell, however. It was Elenwen.

Lorien said nothing as Elenwen approached. The Altmer reached for Lorien's shirt, pulling it upwards. It stuck to her skin where the blood had dried. Lorien cringed away – she hadn't done anything wrong, why did they want to hurt her again?

'I just need to look,' Elenwen told her.

Lorien reached for the hem of her shirt and eased it upwards herself. Elenwen inspected the wounds.

'My,' she said dryly. 'You haven't been very co-operative, have you?' She looked behind her, to Viniel. 'Some very bad bruising, too. Any bones broken?'

'Haven't checked,' Viniel said, looking at his fingernails.

Elenwen let Lorien's shirt fall. 'She'll be fine.'

'There's been a dragon sighting,' Viniel told Lorien after Elenwen had left. 'You may be needed. Just to absorb the soul after we defeat it. Obviously you'll be chained and gagged.'

Lorien just stared at him.

'Well, we can't exactly give you a weapon and let you join in the fight,' Viniel said, smiling slightly. 'I know you'd at least kill me the first chance you got.'

Slowly, Lorien nodded.

'You're learning not to lie. Good girl. I have a feeling things are going to improve for both of us.'

Lorien doubted this. If things improved significantly for her, they would immediately and violently get a lot worse for Viniel.

He left shortly after that.

The next day was questioning again. Viniel was angry when he entered, and he didn't sit at his desk. Instead, he stood in front of Lorien's cell and stared her down.

'Tell me where Delphine is,' he said immediately.

Lorien looked up, surprised. 'You know about Delphine?' she murmured without thinking.

'Yes, of course, we know about Delphine. And now it's obvious that you know about her too, so tell me _where she is_.'

Lorien glanced around her. 'I—I don't know. No one does. She's always on the move, contacts me only when she needs to.'

There was a horribly loud noise as Viniel thrust his fist against the bars of the cell door, and Lorien jerked backwards. 'How many times, Lorien?' Viniel said through his teeth. ' _Don't lie to me_.'

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Viniel smiled. It didn't reassure Lorien at all. His hair was falling into his face, and there were shadows under his eyes.

'You know, I was so grateful to you for murdering Rulindil at first,' he said, almost laughing. 'It meant I could take his place. Third Emissary – an honour. But it's a lot of work, Lorien. One of my jobs is to _make you talk_. And you haven't told us anything useful yet. I _really_ sang your praises to Elenwen, told her how valuable you'd be as a prisoner, told her you were sure to know everything – but either you're completely clueless and became the Dragonborn through luck alone, or you're very, very stubborn.'

Lorien watched at Viniel slowly unlocked the cell door and took a step inside.

'I believe it's the latter,' he told her. 'Which is _good_. That's something I can work with. Everyone's stubborn to begin with. You've held out a little longer than I expected, true, but after a little uncoiling...'

A memory flashed through Lorien's head – the words _intermediate manual uncoiling_ , in the letter Rulindil had sent to Elenwen. Regarding Etienne's torture.

'It was one of Rulindil's favourite techniques,' Viniel said. 'And it's never failed. But...' He glared at Lorien again. 'Elenwen wants to keep hold of you. She doesn't want you hurt so badly that you're crippled or driven insane. We'll need you if the dragons turn against us, but we don't know if they will, because we don't know enough about the dragons. Another new responsibility of mine is finding out more about them, but suddenly Esbern has disappeared from Skyrim. No one can find him, even after using force.'

At that, Lorien finally spoke. 'What do you mean? Force?'

Viniel looked at her, then waved a hand idly. 'Half of your precious Guild could be dead. I don't know.'

Lorien slumped forwards a little, feeling tears welling yet again. This was all her fault. She should never have gone back to the Guild, she should have found another way—

She didn't see Viniel watching her. After a moment, he smiled. 'You care about them so much,' he murmured. 'I could put out an order for them all to be killed, if they haven't been already. It would be easy.'

Lorien looked up at him again. 'They've made no move against the Thalmor.'

'That's debatable, but irrelevant. No, what I've realised, Lorien, is that torturing them would probably be more effective than torturing you.' He crouched so that he was level with Lorien. 'I can have them captured or killed, one by one, unless you tell me what I want to know. Do you understand?'

'You're bluffing,' Lorien said. 'The Thalmor are not all-powerful.'

'Yet. And we don't need to be to take out a band of thieves.'

A pause. 'The fate of all of Skyrim could depend on the Blades. I can't give them up, no matter what you threaten me with.' She met Viniel's eyes and didn't look away.

He stood up suddenly, then grabbed Lorien's arm and pulled her upwards too. 'Fine,' he said as she staggered. 'I'll stick to torturing you, if that's what you want.' He shoved her hard against the back wall, and pain shot through the back of Lorien's head as it collided with the stone. She groaned and leaned forwards, but Viniel held her in place by her neck. His hand gripped it like a vice. Lorien, restricted by her manacles, couldn't even reach to pull his hand away.

'Where's Delphine?' Viniel asked. Lorien tried to shake her head, and he pushed her harder against the wall. 'I know that you know. _Answer me_.' When Lorien said nothing, Viniel pulled something from his pocket and flipped it over in his free hand – a knife.

' _Debilito_ ,' he murmured, and released Lorien. She was still frozen in place – paralysed. 'If I'm careful to keep you alive,' Viniel reasoned, 'I'm sure I can get away with a little more.' With one quick movement, he slashed Lorien's stomach open.

She screamed, of course. It was the same noise she'd made as she'd watched Bryn's neck being slit – one that seemed to be ripped unwillingly from her body, and hurt her as if it was tearing through her throat. Most of the pain was in her stomach, but it was a pain that took over her entire body until it was all she was aware of.

The paralysis spell broke and Lorien slumped downwards, clutching her stomach. Viniel looked down at her, then grabbed hold of the chains attached to her wrists and yanked them upwards. Lorien yelled in pain as her body was forced up again, and her arms were removed from their protective position over her wound. Before she could do anything more, Viniel kicked her in the stomach.

The pain was debilitating – it seemed to freeze Lorien's body as effectively as a paralysis spell, but only for a split-second. She choked on her scream, then was writhing again, trying her best to twist away from Viniel as he drew his foot back once more.

'Is this better?' he yelled over the screams as his foot connected with her stomach again. ' _Is this better_ than just telling me what I want to know? Is this worth a few lives?' He knelt, releasing Lorien's chains. Before she could do anything, he thrust one hand into Lorien's wound.

And she'd thought the pain couldn't get any worse.

A guttural scream escaped her that became a word. ' _STOP_!'

Viniel's hand went still, and he retracted it. It was completely coated in blood.

' _Stop_ ,' Lorien pleaded, the word broken apart by sobs. 'I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Please, stop.'

After a moment, seemingly of disbelief, Viniel smiled and stood up. 'Elenwen will be delighted. I'll fetch her now. Don't lose that resolve, Lorien – remember what I can do to you.'

Lorien barely heard any of it. She mustered the energy to turn her body, and was immediately sick in the corner of her cell.

' _Resarcio_ ,' Viniel said above her, and Lorien was dimly aware that her wound was healing. It still hurt just as much as her body retched, struggling to eject food that she'd never eaten. All that came out was a thin yellow liquid.

When she slumped against the opposite wall again, Viniel was gone. Sobs racked Lorien's body and she shook uncontrollably.

When she finally managed to look down at herself, she found that her shirt and trousers were soaked in more blood than she would have thought possible. Her arms, too – slick up to the elbows with the stuff. She nearly threw up again. Instead, she found herself clutching at her stomach once more, unable to believe that it was whole again.

She still felt as though she'd been split in two. Lorien cried at the sight of herself, the broken sound echoing on the walls.

She wasn't sure how long she lay on the floor for, but eventually someone entered the room. Not Viniel – a guard.

'Everyone's needed outside,' she yelled.

'Why?' one of the other guards responded.

'Does it matter? We've been summoned. It's probably the damned dragon that's been circling for days.'

At that, the three guards all stood and hurried towards the door. For the first time since Lorien had arrived, she was left alone, and there was no will left in her to try and escape.

Slowly, she drew the dagger from her boot. They'd be back for her soon. She'd be forced to absorb the dragon's soul, then brought back to her cell and questioned about Delphine and Esbern. She knew already that she'd give up Delphine's location, and had no doubt that eventually she'd admit that the Guild had hidden Esbern. The Thalmor would go after them both, and likely slaughter the Guild in the process if they hadn't already.

 _Can't let that happen._ Skyrim would find another way to defeat the dragons – they didn't need her. And they weren't coming for her. If she stayed any longer, she'd betray them all. _Think of it as you or them. This time, you need to save them._

Footsteps, somewhere above her. Tears spilled over Lorien's cheeks as she positioned the dagger over her chest. _Can't let this happen._

She drew it back just as the door to the torture chamber opened, and two men entered. Lorien looked at them, only registering colours and shapes. Red. Silver. Brown. Not Thalmor?

Her resolve vanished and the dagger clattered to the floor as General Tullius strode towards the cell. Lorien threw herself towards the gate, clutching the bars and sobbing desperately, trying her best to speak but not quite managing. When she finally blinked away enough tears to see the face of the man next to Tullius, she immediately buried her face in her hands and felt the relief wash through her like an enormous wave.

Bryn had come to help her. She should have known he would.


	30. Fragility

**CONTENT WARNING: mentions of torture**

Lorien didn't really understand how she'd been rescued, but she also didn't care much. Without really noticing, she'd ended up in the hall where she'd first encountered Elenwen. She was sat on the same bench Razelan had used.

That felt like many months ago now.

Bryn was in the same room, but wouldn't sit with her. He was pacing, speaking with the Imperial soldiers or other people that Lorien hadn't bothered to look at yet. There were a lot of people here for her.

Every so often, there would be the sound of muffled voices as General Tullius' anger reached new heights. Lorien wondered what the Thalmor would say. That they were investigating the return of the dragons? But then it would surely be revealed that they wanted the Civil War to be prolonged. What excuse could they come up with for abducting the Dragonborn?

Again, Lorien couldn't bring herself to care much. She simply sat, avoiding Bryn and watching him avoid her, half-listening to conversations that she didn't really register. She only moved when Viniel was brought into the room.

His hands were tied, and he was flanked by Imperial soldiers. Lorien stood as soon as she saw him.

He looked even worse than he had that morning, and hadn't quite managed to get all of the blood off his hands. Lorien took no pleasure in this. She stepped forwards, still clutching her dagger.

The guards stopped and glanced at each other uncertainly. Only Viniel met Lorien's eyes.

'It seems you've won, Dragonborn,' he said. 'I hope your friends weren't too badly hurt in this whole process.'

He didn't get to say anything else, because Lorien threw herself at him, shoving him to the ground. She brought her dagger down into his chest over and over, stabbing until she was certain that he could never hurt her again.

* * *

Lorien was removed from the Embassy shortly after killing Viniel. She didn't mind. It was cold outside, but that was alright. An Imperial guard was keeping an eye on her.

After a long time, more people began to emerge from the Embassy. One of them was Bryn, who finally approached Lorien.

He stopped in front of her, and she realised he was holding a book. It was a little stained – with blood. 'What's that?' she asked quietly.

Bryn hesitated. 'We're going to Solitude with the General,' he said. 'Not for long. Just to make sure you're safe.'

He still wasn't looking at her properly. Lorien just nodded.

She and Bryn ended up staying in Castle Dour with General Tullius. They were given a room with two beds, and two guards outside the door at all times.

Lorien was told she would be visited by healers soon. She sat on her bed, waiting. Bryn paced around the room again.

'Please stop,' Lorien said after a while.

He did, and looked at the floor. 'Sorry. I have no idea what to do with myself.'

'Nothing,' Lorien muttered. 'You already saved me.'

'Saved you.' Bryn scoffed. 'I don't think you could call it that. We took so long...' He looked over at his bed, where he'd set down the bloodstained book.

'What is that?' Lorien asked again. When Bryn didn't answer, she reached for it.

'No,' he said quickly. 'It's... That Thalmor, Viniel, wrote in it. About you. And the methods he was using.'

Lorien dropped the book as if it had burned her. Bryn walked over and removed it, putting it safely in a drawer.

He sighed, then looked at Lorien and finally met her gaze. They looked at each other for a few seconds, when suddenly Lorien noticed that Bryn's eyes were watery. _Oh._ He was crying.

'I can't—' he said, struggling with the words. 'I'm sorry. Gods, you should see yourself, Lorien. I just can't look at you like this.'

Lorien glanced down at herself, and realised she was still wearing the blood-covered clothes. 'Oh,' she said.

'It's not the blood. I know I shouldn't have, Lorien, but I read the book – I know about the cuts under that shirt. I know how many times you were beaten or thrown against a wall. Viniel wrote everything down, and your reactions to it.'

Lorien shrugged.

'I know—what he did. At the end. And I know he threatened to kill us too. And I know what you were about to do before Tullius walked in.'

'So they wouldn't hurt you—'

Bryn groaned and let his head fall into his hands. 'How many times are you going to try and save my life by risking your own? _Every time_ it nearly kills me, Lorien. Why do you keep doing this?'

 _Why do you think?_ Lorien wanted to say. Before she could, though, the healers knocked on the door.

Bryn sighed and got up to open it. He greeted the healers – Lorien stayed sat where she was. She saw Bryn fetch the book again and show it to one of the healers, whose face betrayed her horror. She saw them all glancing at her every now and then.

The healer who had read the book approached Lorien eventually. 'Let's have a look at the wounds, then, shall we?' she said.

Lorien blinked, looking to Bryn. Suddenly she just wanted to leave. When the healer reached for the hem of Lorien's shirt, she jerked backwards violently. Pain shot through her.

'I just need to see the wounds,' the healer repeated. 'I'm not going to hurt you, Lorien.'

'Stop,' Bryn said, stepping forwards. 'She's shaking. Just leave her for a minute.'

The healer nodded after a moment and moved away. Bryn reached for one of Lorien's hands, but she pulled back without thinking.

'Alright,' Bryn said. 'Do you think you can heal the wounds yourself?'

The healer frowned, overhearing. 'It would really be advisable to have a more qualified—'

'Lorien healed me when my throat was cut and I was bleeding to death,' Bryn interrupted, not looking away from Lorien. 'She's good enough.'

Lorien looked down. 'They're all closed,' she said very quietly. 'The wounds.'

Bryn nodded and relayed the information to the healers.

'The best we could do is prevent infection and scarring,' one of them said.

'We'll let you know if any of the wounds reopen,' Bryn promised. 'I don't want to put her through any more right now. Scarring isn't much of an issue.'

Eventually, the healers left, and Lorien found herself feeling infinite gratitude for Bryn once more. She kept doing anything she could to keep him safe, but he was always the one who ended up saving her.

When the door was closed and they were alone again, Bryn smiled at Lorien. She could see it took some effort.

'I'm sorry. I didn't know they'd be so persistent. Do you think your wounds will be alright?'

Lorien nodded, scratching her arm. 'Probably. Haven't checked.'

'We should probably have a look. Just in case.' He moved closer to Lorien, and she tried very hard not to cringe away. Bryn seemed to read her face. 'I'm not going to touch you,' he assured her. 'I promise. Not unless you feel safe.'

 _Safe._ Lorien almost laughed. Her body had been ripped open. Hands had tried to squeeze the air out of her, or pull her guts from her stomach. Every time a door squeaked or someone got too close, she almost jumped out of her skin. _Safe_ seemed very far away. She felt—fragile. Breakable. Completely impermanent, as though her life was constantly hanging in the balance and could be torn away at any moment.

Still, she nodded. She lifted her shirt herself and looked at the cuts. They were just beginning to heal – all except the first, which was more of a scab than a cut now. The gash on her stomach was now just a long scar, contrasting starkly with her skin.

She pressed her fingers against her side, then her ribs, feeling for the bruises. They were all over her.

Bryn sighed, and Lorien could see he wanted to reach for her. But he didn't.

Eventually, Lorien just let her shirt fall back into place. She locked the door and the windows, then finally got into bed.

'Lorien,' Bryn said gently. 'Don't you want to change?'

She looked down and— _blood_. So much of it all over her. Everything flashed through her mind again. She was always covered in blood. Mercer appeared too, stabbing her twice over, and then it was the faceless guard, carving into her skin, and then Viniel, tearing her open and pulling her life out with his bare hands—

Lorien began to sob, her hands gathering fistfuls of the furs around her. Bryn immediately moved to her bed, sitting opposite her. 'It's alright, it's alright – you're not bleeding now. You're safe here.'

_Safe. Safe. Safe._

'Lorien—look.' He reached out, then placed one finger on the back of her hand. It was still clenched tightly around the furs.

'I'll move if you want me to,' Bryn said. 'But look. I can't hurt you with one finger. Just... remember. I'm here, I'm not leaving, and I'm not going to hurt you.'

Lorien stared, then nodded. Bryn had come to save her, remember? He was _safe_. 'I don't want to sleep,' she whispered.

'That's fine. I'm not tired. We can just sit on this very comfortable bed until it's morning, and then we'll talk to the General, and then we can leave. We can go wherever you want to go most. Alright?'

'You need to go back to the Guild.'

'Karliah is running things. She'll be just fine.'

'Is anyone hurt? Did the—Did they come back?'

'They came back looking for Esbern, yes. They didn't hurt any of us, though – we let them into the Ratway, and when they couldn't find anything, they left.'

Lorien sighed, relieved. 'Rune's alright?'

'He's fine. Not very happy with you, though.'

'Really?'

'Mostly just worried, lass. Rightfully so.'

'I... don't want to talk about that right now.'

'Of course not. Would you like to hear how I teamed up with General Tullius?'

'Alright.'

So Bryn explained. As soon as he'd gotten over the shock of having his throat cut open and healed in the space of about a minute, he left for Solitude. Rune had wanted to come too, of course, but Bryn had persuaded him to stay and protect the Guildhall.

'I knew I had to find the General,' Bryn explained. 'No one else can go over the Thalmor. It took a long time to get an audience, and even when I did Tullius was hesitant to believe me. I showed him the letter Gissur had – that helped. I think he welcomed it as an opportunity to expose the Thalmor for what they really are.

'He thought you'd be in Northwatch Keep, though. That's where the Thalmor take almost all of their prisoners. You ended up in the Embassy because of your value as a prisoner, and your relevance to the dragon investigations. I suppose Elenwen wanted to see you.' There was obvious disgust in his voice. 'So we... we went to Northwatch, lass. I'm so sorry. If we'd gone straight to the Embassy—but Tullius was convinced it was Northwatch. He wanted to get there as quickly as possible, and we didn't dare risk alerting Elenwen to what we were doing by going to the Embassy first if it was the wrong place.

'So we went all the way to Northwatch and searched the whole place, but of course you weren't there. We went straight to the Embassy after that, and you should've seen the General – he wouldn't take no for an answer. Elenwen threw a fit, and Viniel – we didn't know who he was then, of course – but he tried everything to stop us from going downstairs. When I noticed the blood on his hands, the soldiers detained him almost immediately. Then we... found you.' Bryn sighed and looked down. His finger slipped off Lorien's hand. 'I was scared to look at you, and then I did and I couldn't stop. Gods... there was blood everywhere, lass. And you were just this tiny shape clutching a dagger – and the—'

'Stop,' Lorien whispered. 'Don't go back.'

Bryn swallowed, then nodded. 'I'm just so angry at myself. We were so close to being too late.'

'No,' Lorien said. 'I only... got the dagger out... because all the guards were called upstairs when you arrived. I hadn't planned it.' She sighed. 'I would have betrayed everyone.'

'I'm still angry that you put yourself in that position, lass.'

'You would have died.'

'That's no excuse to die yourself. You can't just... trade lives around. You're the Dragonborn, Lorien – you need to stay alive for the good of everyone. It's our duty to protect you.'

'It's my duty to protect them. That's... the whole thing.'

'And how are you supposed to that if you're dead?'

'I'm _not_ dead,' Lorien said, suddenly angry. 'I'm still here. So you can stop worrying about the dragons killing everyone, because I'll do my job and stop them eventually. And whatever else comes along with that, fine.' She stood up from the bed, letting go of Bryn. ' _No one told me_. They just said, 'you're the Dragonborn now, you're going to save us,' and then let me figure it out on my own. No warnings, no protection, no training—'

'Tullius wants to rectify that.'

'Tullius is a general, he only wants me as a weapon in his war. I'm sick of being an attribute – something to be held over the Blades' heads, a _valuable prisoner_ , a... a...' Lorien stopped and looked around her as though she wasn't sure how she'd gotten to be where she was. Bryn was watching her. Slowly, she sat down on the bed and drew her knees up to her chest.

Neither her nor Bryn could sleep that night, but they didn't talk any further. Lorien spent most of the next day in bed – she was still in pain whenever she moved, and didn't much want to talk to anyone. Sometimes Bryn was in the room too. Sometimes he wasn't. The only times Lorien did get up, it was to sit in the windowsill and stare down at the citizens of Solitude going about their lives.

When Lorien felt a hand on her shoulder the next morning, she was immediately jerked out of restfulness and sat up abruptly – head-butting Bryn in the jaw.

He cried out, stepping backwards, and Lorien stared.

'I'm sorry,' Bryn said after a moment. 'I wasn't thinking.'

Lorien sighed, trying to relax. Her body still felt like it was on high alert, and jolting out of bed had started the pain in her stomach again. 'It's fine. Just—'

'I understand. Tullius wants to see us this morning, so I thought we should get going. There are some clothes in the wardrobe if you want to change. And we should eat.'

Lorien dimly remembered eating food at some point yesterday evening, but she was still starving. 'I'll change,' she murmured. She eased her legs off the bed and was once again shocked for a moment by her bloody clothes. _You can get rid of them,_ she reminded herself. _Let's just take them off now._

 _Alright._ Slowly, Lorien got herself out of bed and moved towards the wardrobe. She soon found some trousers and a shirt. They were similar to the ones she was wearing now... a little too similar. She wanted to feel different. In any way she could.

 _Just find something else._ Lorien kept looking, and came across a dress. That was different, for sure. She rarely wore dresses.

Bryn cleared his throat from the other side of the room. 'I'll... wait outside. Take as long as you need.'

Lorien glanced back at him and nodded. She stared back down at the dress as the door opened and shut again, then turned and laid it down on her bed.

It hurt to take her shirt off. As she stretched to pull it over her head, her stomach and bruised ribs screamed in complaint. Tears sprung to Lorien's eyes, and for a moment she considered asking for help – but no. Having someone else pulling at her shirt would be... worse.

 _Slowly._ Bit by bit, Lorien eased the shirt off and dropped it on the floor. The trousers came next, and Lorien searched the drawers until she found new undergarments too. She left those on the bed with the dress as she stripped off.

_You can do this. But you need to be able to look at yourself._

Lorien breathed in slowly, then looked down at her bare body.

Seven long cuts in her ribs, each one a dark break in her skin. Bruises along one side of her body. And the long scar, crossing over the one Mercer had left. The new scar was smooth – magically healed – which felt wrong. It had been torn into her.

Lorien ran her hands over her skin, and felt the tears she'd been holding back start to fall. She crouched, curling in on herself, and wrapped her arms around her marred body. It had never felt so fragile.


	31. The Blood of the Last Dragonborn

Lorien and Bryn found General Tullius in a room which seemed to mostly contain maps and Imperial pennants. There was a long table in its centre, covered by a map of Skyrim that was dotted with red and blue flags. Every wall featured at least one Imperial crest. There were two more maps that Lorien could see, each one pinned to a board.

Tullius was leaning over the map on the table, however. He looked up as soon as Lorien and Bryn entered, then smiled grimly.

'Lorien. It's good to see you up and about. Did you find the healers to be satisfactory?'

'Yes,' Lorien said before Bryn could interject. 'Thank you.'

'No need to thank me. I'm sorry that you needed them. If I had known—I never thought the Thalmor would go this far. To do something like this to the Dragonborn... You're sacred to the Nords. We should have done more to protect you, but we were under the impression that you were with the Greybeards.'

Lorien frowned. _I'm a person,_ she wanted to say. _What the Thalmor did is not any more terrible because I'm the Dragonborn. It would have hurt just as much either way._ She didn't say anything.

'Nevertheless,' Tullius continued, 'we will do our best to make up for our failures from this point onwards. Eliminating the dragons is in the best interest of everyone in Tamriel, but will no doubt be dangerous. You'll be trained for combat by the best men I have... but as for everything else pertaining to the dragons themselves, I'm sure you know more about that than I do. Would you be able to tell us what's going on?'

'I was with the Greybeards,' Lorien said after a moment. 'But the Blades contacted me. Well – Delphine. She sent me to the Thalmor Embassy, because she thought the Thalmor might have something to do with the dragons. They don't – they were investigating it, because they think whoever is summoning the dragons wants to prolong the Civil War. Which is exactly what the Thalmor want too. I have proof—'

'I believe you already,' Tullius assured her. 'And I always suspected it. Go on.'

'In their investigations they mentioned a man called Esbern – the only other surviving Blade. Delphine sent me to Riften to look for him, but the Thalmor were looking for him too. They attacked my friend and captured me. Elenwen had wanted me dead before, so that I wouldn't kill any more dragons, but Viniel – oh, he was the one who captured me, and...' Lorien trailed off. 'He... oversaw the prisoners.'

'I know who you mean.'

'Well, he told Elenwen I was a valuable prisoner because I probably knew something about the dragons' return – and if I didn't, I'd know people who did. He asked me about the dragons, about Esbern and Delphine. He told me himself that the Thalmor want the Civil War to continue.'

'But what do the dragons have to do with that?'

'The first of the dragons to return did so on the day of Ulfric's execution. Elenwen was there, and saw it as more than coincidence.'

'I see – I was there too. The Thalmor told you all of this while you were imprisoned?'

'They didn't think I'd get out.'

'What was the plan? To kill you?'

'To get information, then keep me imprisoned in case the dragons turned out to be against the Thalmor rather than with them.'

'Why do you think the dragons are returning?'

Lorien shrugged. 'The only way to kill a dragon is to absorb its soul. All of the dragons that are reawakening still have theirs, but I have no idea how they go from dormant to... alive.'

Tullius nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 'This Esbern you mentioned – what became of him?'

'The Thalmor couldn't find him.'

Bryn spoke up. 'My... organisation... kept him hidden while Lorien was imprisoned.'

Tullius laughed. 'Organisation? I know that armour, Brynjolf, and you don't need to lie about it. As far as I'm concerned, your band of thieves has earned a pardon of sorts for your past deeds. Tell me – is Esbern safe?'

'He is.'

Tullius turned to Lorien. 'And he has more information on the dragons?'

'That's what everyone seems to think,' Lorien told him. 'Esbern, Delphine and the Greybeards are probably our best sources of information.'

'Then it's imperative that we get Esbern and Delphine to safety. If they could be taken to High Hrothgar—'

'The Blades and the Greybeards don't get on so well,' Lorien interjected.

Tullius smiled. 'Typical. My priority is the Civil War, but it seems I will need to devote considerable time to this issue instead. Perhaps Esbern and Delphine could be brought here.'

'You should give up your war. The dragons are a bigger threat. Surely Ulfric knows that—'

'I wouldn't be so sure. He fails to see sense in every instance. But perhaps... Nevertheless, I think we need to speak to Esbern and Delphine first. It'll take as much information as we can get to convince Ulfric of anything.'

Lorien nodded. 'I can send a letter to Delphine.'

'And I can send word to the Guild,' Bryn added. 'Esbern can be brought here too. He certainly had a lot to talk about.'

'Like what?' Lorien asked.

'Something about a prophecy, and Alduin returning. And... he said Alduin was the one raising the dragons.'

Lorien stared at Bryn for a few seconds. 'It's Alduin? A dragon raising the other dragons? Why didn't you say something sooner?'

'Esbern didn't seem like the most reliable source of information, if I'm honest.'

'He knows more about the dragons than anyone. We need him here.'

'Did he tell you anything else?' Tullius asked.

Bryn frowned. 'He described Alduin as the dragon from the dawn of time, who... devours the souls of the dead.'

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Lorien turned to Tullius.

'It's the war,' she murmured. 'The dead from your war is the reason Alduin is strong enough to do this.'

' _My_ war? Lorien—'

Brynjolf reached for Lorien, then stopped himself. 'Listen, lass. Esbern said that only a Dragonborn can stop Alduin, and prevent the prophecy from coming true. You're the first for centuries.'

Lorien blinked. 'Then there's still a way to fix this?'

'Exactly.'

'Send the letters out,' Tullius instructed them both. 'We need to speak with Esbern and Delphine as soon as possible.'

* * *

Delphine was the first to arrive, and was angry from the moment she set foot in Castle Dour. Most of this anger was directed at the Thalmor, but General Tullius received his fair share for allowing the Thalmor free rein.

'I hope you can finally see the kind of creatures you've been working with!' Delphine yelled at him. 'As if their annihilation of the Blades wasn't enough, now they attack the Dragonborn – Skyrim's only hope of survival, and we came this close to losing her forever! _How_ could you allow this to happen?'

'Believe me, Delphine, I couldn't regret it more—'

'I don't have to believe you. Where in Oblivion is the Dragonborn?'

'Here,' Lorien said as she entered the room.

Delphine sighed. 'Well, you've certainly looked better.' She turned back to Tullius. 'I suppose I should thank you for finally getting her out of the Thalmor's grasp, at least.'

'No need,' Tullius said, looking a little relieved. 'You're welcome to stay with us until Esbern arrives, Delphine. You can keep an eye on Lorien yourself.'

Delphine did so. When Esbern did arrive, he was accompanied by Rune, who ran to Lorien as soon as he saw her and pulled her into a hug.

She stiffened a little. 'Rune – my ribs—'

He released her immediately. 'Oh, gods—I'm sorry. I'm just really happy you're alive, Lori.'

'Thanks for bringing Esbern all this way,' Lorien said, changing the subject.

'Of course. I insisted that it was me. Where is he needed?'

At that, Esbern scoffed and pushed Rune aside. 'Let me at least get a look at the Dragonborn before you cart me off.' He looked Lorien up and down, then nodded. 'You'll do, I'm sure. How much do you know about the dragons?'

'Not enough,' Lorien said.

'Right answer.' Esbern nodded again, approvingly. 'Well, go on then. Where is my wisdom needed?'

Lorien led Esbern and Rune to the room in which Tullius, Delphine and Bryn were waiting. Delphine stood up immediately when she saw Esbern, and his face broke into a smile.

'Delphine!' he said. 'I... It's good to see you. It's been... a long time.'

'It's good to see you too, Esbern,' she said. 'It's been too long. I'm glad you made it here safely.'

'All thanks to this strapping young lad,' Esbern told her, slapping Rune on the back. Rune almost staggered forwards, and Bryn tried to conceal a laugh.

Delphine nodded towards Lorien. 'I assume you know about...'

'Oh, yes! The Dragonborn! Indeed, yes. It changes everything. There's no time to lose.' Esbern moved towards the table, rifling through his satchel. 'We must locate—let me show you. I know I had it here somewhere...'

'Esbern, what—'

'Give me just a moment.' He pulled a book from his satchel triumphantly. 'Ah! Here it is.' He opened it, and everyone gathered around the table. 'You see—right here. Sky Haven Temple, constructed around one of the main Akaviri military camps in the Reach, during their conquest of Skyrim.'

Delphine frowned, looking sideways at Lorien. 'Do you know what he's talking about?'

Esbern shushed her. 'This is where they built Alduin's Wall, to set down in stone their accumulated dragonlore. A hedge against the forgetfulness of centuries. A wise and foresighted policy, in the event.' He straightened up and looked around at the others in the room. 'Despite the far-reaching fame of Alduin's Wall at the time, its location was lost.'

'Esbern,' Delphine interrupted again. 'What are you getting at?'

He frowned at her. 'You mean... You don't mean to say that you haven't heard of Alduin's Wall?' He looked to Lorien, who shook her head. 'Neither of you?'

Delphine sighed. 'Let's pretend we haven't. What's Alduin's Wall, and what does it have to do with stopping the dragons?'

'Alduin's Wall was where the ancient Blades recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return! Part history, part prophecy. Its location has been lost for centuries, but I've found it again! Not lost, you see – just forgotten. The Blades archives held so many secrets... I was only able to save a few scraps...'

'So you think that Alduin's Wall will tell us how to defeat Alduin?'

'Well, yes, but... there's no guarantee, of course.'

Lorien shrugged. 'It's something.'

Delphine nodded. 'I knew you'd have information for us, Esbern.'

'Now, hold on,' Tullius interjected. 'I can't abandon the war efforts and assist you in this pursuit until we form some kind of truce with the Stormcloaks.'

'Then don't assist us,' Esbern shrugged. 'We'll be fine.'

'There's more to it than that,' Lorien said. 'The war causes death, and Alduin... eats the souls of the dead. Putting a halt to the war will prevent him from growing far stronger than he already is. Right?'

Esbern nodded decidedly. 'Yes. Yes, it would. But you won't find the men of war so easy to convince.'

'Tullius already seems to be on our side,' Delphine shrugged.

'I'm on the side of Skyrim,' Tullius said. 'And the dragons are the biggest threat right now.'

'Someone needs to talk to Ulfric, then,' Delphine said. 'Lorien—'

'—Won't be going,' Bryn interrupted. 'She's not fit for travel right now.'

'I would've thought the Dragonborn could speak for herself, thief.'

Lorien glared. 'His name is Brynjolf. You have him to thank for me being here.'

Delphine raised an eyebrow, then relented. 'Fine. Is he right? Are you unable to travel to Windhelm and speak with Ulfric?'

Lorien hesitated – she wasn't sure herself.

'You wouldn't go alone,' Tullius assured her. 'You would have Imperial guards.'

'Would they even be allowed in the city?'

'I doubt Ulfric will turn the Dragonborn away. If you request that the guards – or at least one of them – accompany you, I'm sure an agreement could be made.'

'Soldiers in Imperial armour could be killed on sight. I won't take any.'

Tullius glanced around him, as if seeking someone to back him up, then sighed. 'We could find some mercenaries who would accompany you.'

Lorien considered this, then nodded. 'Alright.'

'I'll cover the costs,' Tullius said, waving a hand dismissively. 'Just get to Ulfric and do whatever it takes to convince him. He'll have to listen to you.'

'And if he agrees to talk to you?'

'We'll have to hold the discussion on neutral ground. In Whiterun, perhaps?'

'Or High Hrothgar,' Delphine suggested.

Lorien's eyes widened. 'The Greybeards—'

'They won't like it,' Tullius agreed, 'but it may be necessary. Lorien – I believed you stayed with them for a year?'

She nodded. 'They will not be happy with this. They're against violence in any form—'

'Then they should approve of a peace treaty.'

Lorien sighed, frustrated. How could she get them to understand how sacred High Hrothgar was to the Greybeards? It was situated on the top of a mountain because they didn't want any part in current political affairs – inviting Tullius and Ulfric there to argue was the last thing they would do.

'You know them best,' Tullius continued, and Lorien realised he was speaking to her. 'You'll find it easiest to convince them.'

 _This isn't fair._ Tullius was asking her to betray what the Greybeards stood for, even after everything they'd done for her.

'I'll talk to them,' she said eventually. 'But I won't force them.'

'We're only asking you to try,' Tullius reminded her. 'Meanwhile – Delphine and Esbern, you need to locate Sky Haven Temple and learn everything you can about the dragonlore.'

Delphine nodded. 'Sounds like it might be at Karthspire to me. We should check there first.'

'I believe,' Esbern interjected, 'we'll need some blood.'

Everyone stared at him for a few seconds.

'Esbern,' Delphine said, breaking the silence. 'What do you mean? Why would we need... blood?'

'I've heard many tales of Sky Haven Temple,' he told her. 'One of them spoke of a blood seal, requiring the blood of a Dragonborn.'

Suddenly everyone was looking at Lorien instead of Esbern.

'If you'll allow me to take just a little,' Esbern went on, looking through his satchel again, 'that will suffice.' He pulled a small blade and a vial from his bag and took a step towards Lorien.

She tensed. 'Get that—Get away from me.'

Esbern faltered. 'Dragonborn, this is only a formality. It's needed to gain entrance to the temple. Just stay still – it won't last long.'

Two other voices called out as Esbern moved forwards again, but it was too late. He didn't get any closer. Lorien grabbed his arm and twisted, causing Esbern to cry out and the knife to fall from his hand. Lorien kicked it to the other side of the room.

Everyone was silent. After a moment, Lorien released Esbern's arm. 'I'm—sorry,' she said. 'Don't... Don't try and... do that. I'll do it myself.'

Esbern hesitated, then handed Lorien the vial. She took it and left the room without looking at anyone.

A few seconds after she left, Tullius sighed. 'Maybe you were right, Brynjolf. I'm not sure that the Dragonborn should leave so soon.'

'That won't matter if it's what she wants to do,' Bryn shrugged. 'She won't listen to you.'

'I only want her to be safe—'

'She thinks you want to gain her favour so she'll support the Imperials in the war.'

Tullius hesitated. 'While it would certainly be beneficial to the cause, I'm only thinking of Skyrim's safety right now. The Dragonborn staying alive and sound of mind is imperative to that.'

'She hasn't gone mad,' Bryn said, suddenly annoyed. 'She was _scared_. Surely you could see that.'

'She attacked Esbern—'

'She didn't attack anyone!' Rune said, his voice raised. 'Esbern's fine. Aren't you?'

Esbern looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. 'It was a shock, but I'm not hurt.'

'After everything that's happened,' Bryn said, 'surely you can understand her being a little paranoid?'

'If I may ask,' Esbern interrupted. 'What exactly has happened to the Dragonborn?'

Bryn looked at Rune. 'You didn't tell him?'

Rune shook his head.

Bryn turned to Tullius. 'I'll let you explain this one,' he said as he left the room, with Rune close behind him.

* * *

Lorien was back in the room she and Bryn had been sharing, and she was considering just ripping off the scab of one of her wounds. It would bleed, she thought, and then she could use that blood to fill the stupid bottle. It would be better than using a knife to cut into her own—

A knock on the door. Lorien stood up, setting the knife and vial down on the bed. 'Who is it?'

'Couple of thieves here to see you,' Rune's voice replied.

Lorien opened the door. 'Thought you were in an important meeting,' she said, standing back to let Bryn and Rune inside.

Bryn smiled. 'I'll be honest with you, lass – I had no idea what they were talking about most of the time.'

'I second that,' Rune added, throwing himself onto Bryn's bed. He linked his hands behind his head and leaned back.

'Get your boots off my bed,' Bryn protested, to no avail. Lorien moved the knife and vial so he could sit with her instead.

He looked at the blade pointedly. 'Have you—'

'No. Not yet,' Lorien said.

'It'll be strange if they don't need the blood after all,' Rune pointed out. 'Then Esbern will just... have some of your blood lying around.'

Lorien shrugged. 'He can add it to his seemingly bottomless satchel.'

'It'll probably be worth a lot in a century or so. The blood of the Last Dragonborn... I hear drinking it gives you magical powers.'

'You sound like Bryn selling that Falmer Blood Elixir,' Lorien said. 'Besides – who'd drink blood after it's been lying around for a century?'

Bryn shrugged. 'A particularly hungry vampire?'

'Would it be hungry or thirsty?' Rune wondered out loud.

'Thirsty,' Bryn amended. 'They don't eat people.'

'We don't know that. I've never met a vampire. Have you?'

'Never.'

'Lori?'

'No.'

'So they _might_ eat people,' Rune concluded.

'I thought vampires didn't need to eat anything,' Lorien said quietly.

'Maybe not, but they could just like the taste of human flesh. If our blood is so delectable—'

'When did you learn such long words?' Bryn interrupted. He was pretending not to notice how Lorien had tensed next to him.

'I've stolen a few books in my time,' Rune grinned. 'And I'll have you know that I am quite the educated man.'

At that, Lorien couldn't help but laugh. The sound shocked both Bryn and Rune for a moment, before they joined in.

Even later, when the conversation had moved on, Bryn seemed to be in a good mood. Lorien asked what had got him so happy, and he shrugged.

'You smiled,' he told her. 'First time since we got here. It's just nice to see again.'

Lorien glanced over at Rune, who nodded. She looked down, suddenly embarrassed. 'The idea of Rune being educated is enough to make anyone laugh,' she mumbled.


	32. A Chance to Show Off

In the end, General Tullius directed Lorien to find a man named Ahtar.

'Should be down in the dungeons,' he'd said. 'Toughest man I know, so he'll be good to have with you. Take this letter – it explains everything.'

Lorien agreed, and went to the dungeons the next morning. She heard Ahtar before she saw him, having a yelled conversation with one of the prisoners.

'Hey, jailor!' someone was calling from a cell. 'What I don't understand is why you're siding with the Imperials!'

'Shut up, scum,' a deep voice responded. Lorien through one of the stone archways to look down towards the cells. She saw the man who had spoken – a Redguard. There was a massive axe leaning against the wall next to him.

The prisoner was still shouting. 'I mean, the Redguards fought off the Aldmeri and the Empire, and now Hammerfell is an independent state,' he said as Lorien came down the stairs. 'That's all we Nords want for Skyrim.'

'I said shut up, scum!'

'So it's okay if _your_ people rebel against the Empire, but not mine?'

'They aren't my "people". And I'm with the Imperials because the pay me.'

'Oh,' said the prisoner as he caught sight of Lorien. 'Don't let her hear you say that.'

Ahtar turned, and immediately saw Lorien in the archway.

'Sorry,' she said. 'I didn't mean to just show up. The General—'

'It's fine,' Ahtar said, waving a hand towards the prisoner. 'I'm done talking to Bjartur anyway.'

Bjartur laughed harshly. 'I'd rather talk to her than you!' he yelled. 'C'mon, let her stay here for a while!'

Ahtar didn't turn around. 'You said something about General Tullius,' he said to Lorien.

She held out the letter in response. Ahtar took it and read it quickly, frowning as he did. He looked up at Lorien, his brow still furrowed.

'Are you the person he's talking about?' he asked.

'I haven't actually read the letter,' Lorien admitted. 'But if he's talking about the... Dragonborn?'

'He is.' Ahtar refolded the letter, using it to point at Lorien. 'That's you?'

Lorien nodded.

'Alright. Well, looks like I'm getting a break from this dump for a while. Maybe I'll even get to use my axe again.'

Bjartur called out again. 'Where you off to, jailer? You leaving me alone?'

'Say your goodbyes, scum,' Ahtar said, turning around to face the cell. 'You'll probably be dead by the time I'm back.'

'Not without you 'ere to lop my head off,' Bjartur laughed. 'Hurry back, jailor!'

Ahtar stuffed the note in his pocket and turned back to Lorien. 'When do we leave?'

'As soon as we can,' she said.

'Great.' Ahtar grabbed his axe like it weighed nothing and swung it into the holster on his back. 'Let's get going.'

* * *

It was evening by the time Lorien and Ahtar neared Whiterun. They hadn't spoken much – Ahtar was quiet, and Lorien didn't feel much like talking, so it worked for her.

At one point, though, Ahtar looked over at Lorien and broke the silence. 'What happened to you?' he asked.

Lorien blinked, surprised. 'What?'

He gestured to his own face. 'There's a bruise on your jaw. You get in a fight?'

'Something like that.'

Ahtar nodded, leaning back. 'So. Why does the Dragonborn need someone to accompany them on a trip to Whiterun?'

'Keep your voice down!'

'Why? We're alone.'

Lorien gestured towards the cart driver's back. 'Just don't call me that,' she whispered.

'Fine. Why do you need me to accompany you?'

'I'm not trusted on my own. And because they want to protect me.'

'From whoever did that to your face?'

'Yeah.'

'Figures. Who's "they"?'

'The man who wrote you the letter about me.'

'I see. Why are we going to Whiterun?'

'Just to stay the night before continuing alone.'

'Where to?'

Lorien gestured frustratedly to the cart driver again, and Ahtar chuckled.

'You're too paranoid,' he said.

Lorien shrugged. 'I don't think so.'

'I'm annoying you.'

'I usually travel alone.'

Ahtar laughed. 'And you don't think I'll be of use to you?'

'I think you'd probably sell me out to whoever offered you the most gold. Like you said to that prisoner—'

'What, Bjartur? You can't make assumptions from my conversations with him. I say whatever will shut him up fastest. Besides,' Ahtar said, stretching as he talked, 'our mutual friend is paying me for this. And I don't think anyone will be offering me more gold than he could.'

Lorien shifted in her seat. 'Did he even tell you where we were going?'

'He told me to go where you go. I'm assuming it's not just to Whiterun, though, because he did warn me that we might be gone for a while.'

'I'm hoping it won't be too long. We need to be as fast as possible.'

'Well, you're in luck – we're nearly in Whiterun.'

Lorien looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was Whiterun – they'd be there within minutes. She was eager to get off this cart and into a bed.

* * *

The next morning, Lorien woke early. She was glad of it – they needed to get moving as soon as possible. She dressed and left her room to wake Ahtar, but stopped short.

'Erik?' she said, disbelieving.

He turned to look at her, and smiled widely. 'Lorien! You look so different!'

Lorien looked down at herself. She was wearing armour instead of the dress she'd been given at Frostfruit Inn, and her hair was cut shorter. She and Erik were both a few years older than when they'd last seen each other.

'You haven't changed much,' Lorien smiled.

'What happened to you after you left the inn?' Erik asked.

Now that was a long story. 'I... travelled. Did some bounty hunting to earn money.'

'Speaking of money – I'm still angry that you left me all your tips when you were fired.'

'It wasn't all my tips. I took enough for a cart journey. Was the gold useful?'

'I saved it,' Erik told her. 'And all the gold I earned. Then I bought some armour and eventually came here to train up.'

'Wait – with the—'

'The Companions! My father is happy enough because I'm not far from home, and I'm happy that I'm finally doing something useful. Would you like to come and meet them?'

'Oh – we've spoken a little before.'

'Even better – I'm sure they'd love to see you again.'

'I wish I could come, Erik, but I have to leave as soon as possible. Myself and my... travelling companion have urgent business elsewhere.'

Erik didn't let this phase him. 'Maybe on the way back?'

'Maybe.'

At that moment, Ahtar opened his door and leaned out. 'You're ready to go?' he said to Lorien, who nodded. He disappeared back into his room, and emerged a minute later with his armour on and the axe on his back.

'Wow,' Erik said. 'That's quite an axe. I prefer two-handed weapons, but I've never used anything that large.'

'It's an executioner's axe,' Ahtar told him. He turned to Lorien. 'Who's this?'

'Erik – an old friend,' Lorien explained.

Ahtar nodded. 'We should get going.'

'Alright. Maybe I'll see you on the way back, Erik?'

He nodded. 'If I'm not here, come find me in Jorvasskr. We have a lot of catching up to do.'

Lorienassured him that she would, and she and Ahtar left to make their way to Ivarstead, and then High Hrothgar.

* * *

The Greybeards hadn't known to expect Lorien, so she wasn't surprised when Arngeir opened the door looking a little confused. His face cleared when he saw Lorien, though, and he even smiled.

'The Dragonborn returns,' he said, standing back to allow her entry. He glanced at Ahtar, then spoke to Lorien in Dovah. ' _Wo los voth hi_?'

' _Dii qah_ ,' Lorien told him.

' _Rok mindok hi los Dovahkiin_?'

' _Geh. Zu'u mindol zu'u ov rok_.'

Arngeir frowned at Ahtar. ' _Hi lost qah_?'

' _Fin Thalmor horvutah zu'u, ful Konahrik Tullius uth daar_.'

Ahtar interrupted. 'I recognised 'Thalmor' and 'Tullius' there. What are you talking about?'

'You,' Lorien said, smiling slightly.

'Well, as long as I'm the topic of conversation, I'm happy.'

' _Zu ni med rok_ ,' Arngeir muttered.

'I don't like him much either,' Lorien said. Ahtar looked indignant, and Lorien laughed. ' _Dua ora... ronoma enyo_ ,' she whispered to him.

He blinked in surprise. ' _Estaes dua_. I didn't know you spoke Yoku.'

' _Homi sischi_ taught me a few basics.'

Arngeir frowned at them both. 'Are you here to speak with me, Lorien, or to show off your knowledge of languages?

' _Ney_. The Blades know about a prophecy that tells of the end of the world. A Dragonborn can prevent it, and General Tullius wants to help me do that, but he needs a temporary peace with Ulfric Stormcloak first.'

Arngeir's frown deepened. 'The Greybeards never involve themselves in political affairs. How do you expect us to help?'

'Both General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak respect the Greybeards. They will listen. High Hrothgar is neutral ground – Tullius suggested that they speak here, to agree on the truce. And perhaps you could help them to understand how important the... dragon issue... is.'

Arngeir looked hard at Lorien. 'Fine. Gather the men of war here, and hope they can find it within them to lay down their weapons for the greater good of Skyrim.'

'That's the plan,' Lorien said, breathing a sigh of relief. 'Thank you. I'll speak to Ulfric as soon as possible.'

This is exactly what she did – she and Ahtar began arranging travel to Windhelm the minute they had descended the mountain.

As Lorien queued to buy some food for the journey, Ahtar asked even more questions, mostly in Yoku.

' _Due etawa ut alt alaba rale_?' was the first. You want to end the war?

' _Po al' eliehu_ ,' Lorien sighed. For a while.

' _Asala enyo ut aze alaba dragons_.' A fellow shopper glanced over at the word 'dragons'.

' _Sepale'ma dua alahu lo_ ,' Lorien hissed. Keep your voice down.

When they were outside, carrying a small sack of provisions, Ahtar turned to Lorien again. 'So? You're going on a dragon-killing mission, aren't you?'

'Something like that,' Lorien said dryly. ' _Please_ be quiet. I don't want people to know who I am.'

'Some do already. A lot of them are looking at you.'

'That 's because I came here to take a dragon soul a while back. That kind of thing doesn't happen often in Ivarstead.'

'It doesn't happen often anywhere.'

Lorien shrugged. 'I guess I got used to it. It was all I did when I was with the Greybeards. That, and learn the Dovah language.'

'It is quite impressive.'

'Well, I wasn't sure if you'd know Yoku,' Lorien said as she loaded her bags onto the cart, then held her hands out for Ahtar's.

'I haven't spoken it in a long time,' he admitted. 'I meant to ask... isn't the Dragonborn a Nord legend?'

'I suppose.'

'So... Well, wouldn't you expect the Dragonborn to be a Nord?'

Lorien raised an eyebrow and looked at Ahtar for a moment. 'I never thought about that. To be honest, I have no idea why or how I came to be the Dragonborn. I'm just trying to do my best with it, but...'

'But?'

'It doesn't matter. Let's get going.'

'Wait,' Ahtar said, reaching for Lorien's arm to stop her. She jerked away violently, and Ahtar drew his hand back. 'I'm... sorry. I just wanted to know what you were going to say.'

'Nothing.' Lorien climbed into the cart without saying anything more.

It took about half a day to get to Windhelm, and by the time they were there it was late again. For much of the journey, Ahtar tried to ask more questions, but Lorien had told him she was tired and eventually pretended to sleep.

Now that they were arriving in Windhelm, Ahtar whispered Lorien's name until she opened her eyes.

'We're here,' he told her.

* * *

The next morning, Lorien wasn't quite so keen to get up. She was nervous to talk to Ulfric about anything, but especially about his precious rebellion. But surely he would put the fate of all of Skyrim above his own desires for a little while?

Lorien sighed and rolled over in bed, pulling the furs around her. She missed Bryn, and Rune, and familiarity. She felt as though she was on high alert every minute of the day when she was alone.

All she wanted to do right now was leave. Go back to the Guildhall. Stay with Bryn, who would never have felt his own neck sliced open. Spend every day in the company of him and Rune, and maybe a couple of the other thieves, and that was all. That was all she wanted.

She stared at the door. There was nothing stopping her, really. She'd have to go into hiding for a while, but the Guild could come up with some story that would explain her disappearance. They'd find another Dragonborn – because it seemed as though it could be anyone – or another way to eradicate the dragons.

Or maybe they wouldn't. _Remember how awful it felt to be stuck in High Hrothgar, knowing people were being hurt or killed, and that you could help but didn't?_ Yes, of course. But that was before an assassin had been sent after her. It was before Bryn had almost bled to death in front of her. It was before the Thalmor had—

_Everyone depends on you. All you need to do is stay._

Lorien covered her head with the furs. She could stay in bed for a bit, at least.

A while later, there was a knock on the door. _Your chance is gone,_ she thought.

_There will be others. But I won't take them._

She pushed herself out of bed and opened the door.


	33. You Had One Job, Ahtar

Both Lorien and Ahtar hesitated before entering the Palace of the Kings.

'Nervous?' Ahtar asked Lorien.

She shrugged. 'A little.'

'He'll like you,' Ahtar said. His tone made it clear that there was no room for argument.

Lorien pushed the door open, and the two of them entered the Palace of the Kings. Ulfric was immediately visible, leaning back in his throne at the opposite end of the room and speaking with another man. Lorien took a deep breath and stepped forwards.

She kept walking, purposefully, until she stood in front of the throne, with Ahtar a little way behind her. Distractedly, Ulfric glanced over at Lorien. Then he looked again.

'Who interrupts our conversation, Jorleif?' he asked.

The man he'd been talking to – Jorleif – frowned at Lorien and Ahtar. 'A couple of Redguards, my lord?'

Ulfric hadn't taken his eyes off Lorien. 'What's your name?' he asked.

'Lorien,' she told him. 'I'm the—'

'The Dragonborn,' Ulfric interrupted. 'Aren't you?'

Lorien hesitated. 'Yes. How did you—'

'Tell me, did the Greybeards try to convert you too?'

'The—The Greybeards? Are you—'

'Oh, no,' Ulfric chuckled. 'I'm not Dragonborn – more's the pity. But I did study the Thu'um with the Greybeards for a long time. I know what they're like. Have they gotten to you yet?'

Lorien sighed, frustrated. It seemed as though she couldn't say anything without Ulfric interrupting her. 'I... stayed with the Greybeards for a while.'

'And now you're here.' He shifted in his seat, leaning back. 'Have you come to lend your skills to the rebellion?'

'No,' Lorien said firmly. 'That's not why I'm here.'

'Then what does bring you to me, Dragonborn?'

'A message from the Greybeards.'

'Ah – it's about time they turned their gaze from the heaves, back to our bleeding homeland. What do they want?'

'They've invited you and General Tullius to High Hrothgar to negotiate a temporary truce – until the dragon menace is dealt with.'

Ulfric sighed, thinking. 'I have the greatest respect for the Greybeards, of course. And the dragon attacks _are_ a growing plague. But the political situation is still delicate – not all the Jarls are fully committed to supporting me as High King. I cannot afford to appear weak. I won't agree to this unless Tullius himself will be there.'

Lorien smiled slightly. 'It was General Tullius' idea.'

'Hm. More likely it was Elenwen's, then.'

'Elenwen... has been arrested.'

Ulfric frowned. 'Arrested? By who? What for?'

'Arrested by General Tullius. I'll let him explain the rest. Needless to say, Elenwen will not be attending the negotiations, nor will any other Thalmor representatives. A lot of things are going to change, Ulfric – starting with this truce.'

'Well said, Dragonborn. Yes, I'll attend your council, if only to find out how Elenwen finally got what she deserved.'

Lorien raised an eyebrow.

'And to make peace,' Ulfric smiled, standing up. 'Temporarily.'

'Perhaps you'll like peace,' Lorien said.

Ulfric looked at her. 'Perhaps, Dragonborn.'

'Lorien.'

'Of course.' He looked to Ahtar. ' _Arhk hin fahdon_?'

Ahtar, who had been quiet so far, sighed frustratedly. 'Not him too!'

'He's my protection,' Lorien said before Ulfric could react.

Ulfric smiled. 'You do speak the language, then. I'm glad. It's been a long time since I was able to use it.'

'Well, it hurts Ahtar's feelings, so try to restrain yourself for now.'

Ulfric almost laughed at that. He turned to Jorleif. 'Fetch Galmar,' he ordered. 'We need to prepare for a trip to High Hrothgar. As for you, Lorien – you're welcome to travel there with us.'

'I have to tell General Tullius and the Blades that you've agreed to meet with them.'

'So send one of my couriers – I assure you, they'll be efficient. You and your friend need to rest, don't you?'

That did sound nice. Lorien glanced back at Ahtar, who shrugged, arms folded.

'I have work waiting for me,' he reminded Lorien.

'Executions?' Ulfric interjected. 'I'd assume so, judging by that axe. Tell me – is Elenwen going to be beheaded? I'll have to attend that.'

Lorien felt her fingernails digging into her palms. 'Enough about Elenwen. Ahtar and I will stay at the inn while word is sent to Tullius. How long will that take?'

'About a day for the letter to get there, and another for them to get to Ivarstead.'

'Fine. We'll rest for one day, and leave for High Hrothgar tomorrow.'

Ulfric nodded. 'Lorien, you're welcome to stay here rather than at the inn.'

'We'll be fi—'

'Actually,' Ahtar interrupted, 'that might be a good idea. I need to get back to Solitude. You'll be safe without a personal guard for a while if you stay with Ulfric.' He smiled.

Lorien hesitated. 'I... suppose.'

'I could take word back to General Tullius, too. And I really do have work to do,' he added, looking at Ulfric.

Ulfric stood from his throne. 'It sounds like we have come to an arrangement,' he said. 'As long as the Dragonborn is happy to stay here.' He looked to Lorien.

She realised he was expecting an answer, and nodded. 'That... should be fine.'

'Perfect. Ahtar, is it? Ensure the message gets to Tullius as quickly as possible. Lorien, if you'll come with me, I'll find a room for you myself.'

Jorleif frowned. 'My lord, I would be happy to—'

'No, no, Jorleif – I wish to speak with our guest further. Lorien?'

Lorien glanced between Ulfric and Ahtar. 'Thank you for everything,' she said to Ahtar eventually. ' _Yasta estefala olo dua trang abadu_.'

'You stay safe too,' Ahtar said, smiling. 'Tullius will kill me if you don't.'

Lorien waved as he left, then turned to Ulfric.

'Welcome to the Palace of the Kings,' he said to her.

* * *

Tullius was not happy when Ahtar returned alone.

'I could not have been clearer in my letter,' he shouted. 'You go where the Dragonborn goes – you do not leave her side! And now you've put her in the hands of Ulfric, our _enemy_? How could you _possibly_ think this was a good idea?'

'She couldn't be safer from the Thalmor,' Ahtar assured him. 'The Stormcloaks would kill any on the spot. Besides, no Altmer go anywhere near Windhelm.'

'There are other threats besides the Thalmor! Such as _Ulfric Stormcloak_!'

'If you think he's such a danger to her, you'd better get moving. You're expected at High Hrothgar in about a day anyway.'

'If I _think_ he's a danger to her?'

Ahtar sighed. 'Ulfric isn't going to kill Lorien. You should've seen him – he was almost in awe when he met her. Besides, no one would support the Stormcloaks if they murdered Skyrim's only hope of survival.'

'You'd better hope you're right, Ahtar,' Tullius said, pointing at him. 'If I didn't need to leave for High Hrothgar right away, I'd stay and lecture you for another hour.'

'I'll survive. About my payment—'

'You'll get your payment if the Dragonborn is unharmed – as we agreed.'

Meanwhile, Lorien was eating with Jarl Ulfric in the Palace of the Kings. He'd insisted on her joining him, and she was glad she had – the food was delicious. She'd been updating Ulfric on everything she knew about Alduin's return and the prophecy that came with it.

'And what of the Thalmor?' Ulfric asked eventually.

Lorien sighed – she'd known he would bring it up at some point. 'The Thalmor want the Civil War to continue until Skyrim is so weakened that they can take over. They convinced themselves that whoever was bringing the dragons back had the same goal, because of Alduin's interruption at your execution.'

'I'm with you so far.'

'If that were the case, it would be against the Thalmor's interests if someone started killing all the dragons. Which is my job.' Lorien took another bite of food. When she was finished, she spoke again. 'They abducted me and kept me imprisoned for about a week, trying to find out what they could about the dragons.'

'They questioned you?'

'Mm-hmm,' Lorien said. She knew what 'questioned' was code for, but her mouth was full again. 'But they were half-right. I think it's possible that Alduin interrupted your execution because he wants the war to go on – so that he could eat the souls of its victims.' Lorien shrugged. 'Either that, or it was a coincidence.'

Ulfric frowned at her. 'Were you—there?'

'No,' Lorien said after a moment. 'Why?'

'Just something I remembered.'

Lorien shrugged, then changed the subject. 'Jarl Ulfric, if both the Thalmor and the dragons want this war to continue, doesn't that suggest that it shouldn't?'

Ulfric leaned back in his chair, thinking it over. 'Perhaps – if the Imperials were willing to compromise. They finally seem to be dealing with the Thalmor appropriately. All we need now is freedom of religion, and I'd be happy to come to some kind of agreement.'

Lorien sighed, relieved. 'It's good that you and General Tullius are meeting, then. Hopefully the Blades will have found out more about Alduin, too. We'll be rid of the dragons far sooner if everyone co-operates.'

'The one thing we all have in common, Lorien, is a wish to see the dragons eradicated. You may well have found the only way to unite us.'


	34. All You Do is Meditate

Ulfric, Galmar and Lorien arrived at High Hrothgar first. Lorien went straight to Arngeir, who did not look pleased.

'So, it begins. The men of violence will gather here, in these halls whose very stones are dedicated to peace. I should not have agreed to hold this council – the Greybeards have no business involving ourselves in such matters.'

Lorien shook her head. 'These matters involve everyone, Arngeir. Everyone in Skyrim – even in Tamriel. It's what needs to be done to fight back against the dragons.'

Arngeir wasn't convinced. 'This peace you're looking for is meaningless. They may put down their weapons for a moment, but only to gather strength for the next bloodletting.'

'If it's Alduin's blood, that won't be a bad thing.'

'Do you know the ancient Nord word for war, child?' Arngeir asked. ' _Season unending_. So it will prove.' He sighed. 'But regrets are pointless... here we are.'

At that point, the doors to High Hrothgar opened again and General Tullius entered, with two women. Lorien recognised one of them as Jarl Elisif, and she thought she'd seen the other somewhere before but didn't know her name. They were followed by Delphine and Esbern.

Tullius visibly relaxed when he saw Lorien. 'Thank the gods,' he said. 'You're safe. Has Ulfric brainwashed you yet?'

Before Ulfric could retort, Lorien gave him a warning look. 'Please don't start arguing already. You'll make the Greybeards regret this even more.'

Tullius sighed. 'Fine. We should get down to business, I suppose.'

As Ulfric and Galmar began following Arngeir, Lorien stopped Tullius.

'General Tullius,' she said. 'My friends—'

'They're in Ivarstead,' he told her. 'And no, you can't go there now. You're a part of this, Lorien. A big part.'

She nodded, and followed the General. The armoured woman that Lorien couldn't put a name to walked beside her.

'I'm Legate Rikke,' she announced, helpfully. 'It's an honour to make your acquaintance for the second time, Dragonborn.'

Lorien suddenly realised why Legate Rilke looked familiar – she had been the captain presiding over the execution Lorien had been caught up in.

'You remember,' Lorien murmured.

'I don't forget a face,' Rikke said, smirking. 'I have to say, I'm glad I chose to let you go that day. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't?'

Lorien laughed a little. 'True. I didn't exactly have a chance to thank you for that afterwards.'

'Ha – I wouldn't have expected you to! I was running your execution, after all. Believe me, if I had known you were the Dragonborn—'

'Lorien, please. It's good to meet you too.'

Arngeir led them all through the stone halls to a large room. A table took up most of the space, forming a ring around the fire pit in the centre of the room. Arngeir sat at one end of the table, and gestured for Lorien to sit directly opposite him. She did so, sipping from the tankard of water provided as everyone else took their places. Rikke was sat on Lorien's left, and Galmar was on her right.

Arngeir looked at Lorien, his face distorted by the waves of heat rising from the fire. 'Lorien, if you would like to begin?'

She did not want to begin, but she stood up from her seat anyway.

'All of you know by now that I am the Dragonborn,' she said. 'I'm still figuring out exactly what that means myself. But I can tell you one thing it definitely means – that I am the only person who can kill Alduin and prevent him from... Well, from fulfilling the prophecy. From ending the world.

'Alduin grows stronger every time a soldier dies fighting for the Imperials or the Stormcloaks. He grows stronger every time a civilian is killed in the midst of a battle, or when someone is executed for worshipping the wrong god, or when someone is mauled to death by a sabrecat because they're not permitted to enter Windhelm. Every death that the Civil War causes reduces the chance that we will ever defeat Alduin.

'I may be the Dragonborn, but I'm only one person. I need all the help I can get. I need General Tullius to spread the word about the true threat that Alduin poses, and Jarl Ulfric to convince his people in the way only he can. I already have the help of the Greybeards and the Blades, but the dragons are a danger to everyone. Everyone needs to do what they can to help.' She looked to Esbern. 'Did you discover anything more from Alduin's Wall?'

'Oh, yes,' Esbern said, standing. Lorien fell into her seat, relieved. 'Alduin has been defeated before – by a Shout that knocked him from the very sky. I have never heard of such a thing, but we thought the Greybeards might have.'

Arngeir stood, clearly annoyed. 'As usual, the Blades are meddling in matters they do not understand.'

Legate Rikke leaned across to Lorien. 'I'm starting to feel that we aren't needed here,' she murmured.

'Don't start,' Delphine said to Arngeir from the other side of the table. 'We all know you'd love for the Dragonborn to stay here with you and meditate for the rest of time, but that isn't going to stop Alduin. This is her destiny – it's about time you accepted that.'

'You are turning her away from the path of wisdom,' Arngeir insisted. He looked to Lorien. 'Have you learned nothing from us? Have you become a tool in the hands of the Blades, to be used for their own purposes?'

Lorien frowned. 'Killing Alduin is in the best interests of everyone in Skyrim. That's why I need to do it – not because the Blades told me to.'

'What makes you think you can beat Alduin this time?' Arngeir asked. 'This Shout was used once before, was it not? Yet here we are.'

'I have to try.'

'But perhaps Alduin was not meant to be defeated!'

Lorien stood suddenly 'Then everyone in Skyrim is _meant_ to just die? And I'm _meant_ to just let it happen?'

'If the world is meant to end, so be it. Let it end, Lorien! Let it end and be reborn.'

'That's easy for you to say!' Lorien was shouting now. 'All you do is meditate and spend every day with the same people, who can't even speak to you! I have nothing against your way of life, Master Arngeir, but you _can't_ see the world ending from the same perspective as I can. Your world is within these walls, and the idea of that ending doesn't seem so terrible. But my world is all of Skyrim and beyond, and it's filled with people who don't deserve to die! You cannot condemn the world to ending – you have no right to, because you don't even know what you would be sacrificing!'

The room was silent. Everyone stared at Lorien.

She cleared her throat. 'I'm not going to let this go. I'm going to do everything I can to stop Alduin, and if it doesn't work, _then_ I will give up and let the world end. But not until then. Your best efforts to keep me from violence and conflict have failed, because my destiny is supposedly pre-written, and it's full of both of those things. There's nothing you can do about it, so you might as well help me.'

Arngeir stared at Lorien for a few seconds, then sighed. 'Dragonborn – Lorien. Forgive me. I was... intemperate. I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgement, but the decision whether or not to help you is not mine to make.'

Lorien breathed a sigh of relief. 'Will you teach me the Shout?'

'No. I cannot teach it to you because I do not know it.'

'Then what—'

'It is called _Dragonrend_ , but its Words of Power are unknown to us. We do not regret this loss – Dragonrend holds no place within the Way of the Voice.'

'What's so bad about it?' Lorien asked.

'It was created by those who had lived under the unimaginable cruelty of Alduin's Dragon Cult. Their whole lives were consumed with hatred for dragons... and they poured all their anger and hatred into this Shout.' Arngeir looked at Lorien, then at Ulfric. 'When you learn a Shout, you take it into your very being. In a sense... you become the Shout. In order to learn and use Dragonrend, you will be taking this evil into yourself.'

Lorien blinked, then looked around her. 'I'll... bear that in mind. But if you can't teach me Dragonrend – if it's lost – how do I defeat Alduin?'

Arngeir sighed. 'Only Paarthurnax, the master of our order, can answer that question. If he so chooses.'

'Paarthurnax. Who is he?'

'Our leader. He surpasses us all in his mastery of the Way of the Voice.'

'Why have I never met him? I lived here for over half a year!'

'He lives in seclusion, on the very peak of the mountain. He speaks to us only rarely, and never to outsiders. Being allowed to see him is a great privilege. When the time comes, I will show you how to open the way to Paarthurnax.'

'And he'll tell me how to defeat Alduin?'

'Perhaps,' Arngeir said. 'It is your best and only hope.'

'Alright.' Lorien breathed a sigh of relief. 'Assuming that works, are we agreed that a truce would be in Skyrim's best interests?'

Tullius and Ulfric looked at each other. Then Ulfric shrugged. 'I'd certainly find it easier to agree to, now that I know the Thalmor are rotting in jail cells rather than controlling the leaders of Skyrim.'

'Clearly, a lot of changes will be made now that the Thalmor's true nature has come to light,' Tullius sighed. 'They have undoubtedly violated our agreement by betraying Skyrim and acting with intent to prolong the war. The White-Gold Concordat will need to be seriously reconsidered.'

'That's what I like to hear,' Galmar muttered.

'And what of the Dragonborn?' Ulfric asked. 'Her safety is our utmost priority. How do we ensure it?'

Rikke sat up a little straighter. 'Get the word out. Tell everyone who the Dragonborn is, and why we need her. No Nord would dare hurt her as it is, and as soon as everyone else realises that she's Skyrim's only hope of survival, they'll stay well away too.'

'But we risk exposing her to further danger,' Tullius countered. 'If everyone suddenly knows exactly who the Dragonborn is.'

'Why would they endanger her? It's in their best interests to keep her alive too.'

'There will always be exceptions.'

'Then we keep her guarded – accompanied by someone we trust whenever possible.'

'We'll discuss this later,' Lorien interrupted. 'For now – is the truce agreed upon? Can I count on your assistance?'

Both Tullius and Ulfric nodded. Lorien smiled, relieved. That had been easier than she'd expected.

* * *

After the peace treaty, Lorien had explained to everyone that she was going to Ivarstead to buy some supplies and would be back in High Hrothgar soon. Really, she didn't need any supplies – but Bryn and Rune were in Ivarstead, and who knew when she'd see them again?

As luck would have it, Bryn was just leaving the inn when Lorien finally arrived at the bottom of the seven thousand steps. She saw him immediately and ran over, hugging him hard before he even knew what was happening. When he realised it was Lorien, he hugged her too. Then Rune threw his arms around them both and Lorien overbalanced, and all three of them crashed to the ground.

When they finally managed to stop laughing, Lorien told them the news. 'It worked,' she said. 'They've agreed to a truce.'

'That's brilliant!' Rune slapped Lorien hard on the back. 'You did it, Lori. And now you can... kill all the dragons. Or whatever it is you need to do.'

'That's pretty much it,' Lorien admitted. 'If it's possible. The Greybeards told me about this Shout that even they don't know...'

And she sat there for a while, on the ground with her two best friends in all of Skyrim, telling them everything that had happened. She jumped up and re-enacted her argument with Arngeir, adding a little extra drama here and there.

'You _cannot_ condemn the world to ending – you have no right to, because you don't even _know_ what you would be sacrificing!' she finished triumphantly. Bryn and Rune both clapped, laughing up at her. Lorien took a bow.

'Don't you need to get back up there?' Bryn asked.

'I suppose,' Lorien sighed. 'We're closer than ever, Bryn. But I have no idea how long this will really take.'

'We'll be here,' Rune smiled. 'At least we don't need to worry about an Imperial attack on Riften while you're gone.'

Lorien's eyes widened. 'Don't say that. And promise me – if a dragon attacks in Riften, get into the Guild and stay underground. Get other people into the Ratway if you can, but make sure you're safe first. Please. I can't do this if you'll be in danger while I'm gone.'

Bryn smiled. 'We'll probably be in less danger with you gone, lass.' Lorien's face changed, and Bryn immediately regretted speaking. 'Oh—I didn't mean—'

'You're right,' she said. 'I do need to get back. Stay safe while I'm gone.' She gave them both a small smile before heading towards the steps to High Hrothgar.

Bryn watched her go, then turned to Rune, who grimaced. 'Do I go after her?'

'Of course you go after her,' Rune said. 'Even if you have to climb all seven thousand steps.'

Bryn nodded and ran off in the direction Lorien had gone. She was a fast walker, and Bryn had to hurry up the first flight of steps before he caught sight of her.

'Lorien!' he called, and she turned, surprise evident on her face.

'Bryn, why are you—'

'I'm sorry,' he said, cutting her off. 'For what I said. It's not true – it couldn't be further from true. I feel _safest_ when you're with me.'

Lorien shook her head, looking down. 'But it _is_ true. If you'd never met me, you wouldn't have—' The words seemed to die in her throat, and she gestured to Bryn's neck. 'You know.'

'If I'd never met you? Lorien, it's because of you that Rune and I aren't dead. The dragon – remember?'

'You wouldn't have been there if you hadn't been looking for me, Bryn.'

'You exposed Mercer Frey and killed him, despite not wanting to go anywhere near him ever again. You saved me from those poisoned arrows in his house – and I don't care what you say, it's not because you were there that I was hurt in the first place. It's because of you that Karliah is still alive, and that the skeleton key was returned to the Sepulcher. And it is not your fault that the Thalmor attacked me! It's th—'

'It _is_ my fault!' Lorien yelled, taking Bryn by surprise. 'I told Viniel you meant nothing to me when that couldn't be further from the truth! I stood there and told him to cut your throat open, then panicked and got myself imprisoned as soon as he did! And when I was there, he told me he could kill every member of the Guild, and I told him to go ahead because the Blades were more important! Do you know how much I hate myself for that?'

'You were bluffing—'

'You could easily have tracked down Karliah and killed Mercer without me. All I've done is put you in danger or made you unhappy.'

'Made me unhappy? No, lass—' Bryn ran a hand over his hair, frustrated. 'Fine. Let's assume that my throat getting cut is completely your fault. Surely if I, the person _whose throat was cut_ , can forgive you for it, you can forgive yourself?'

'I don't understand why you would forgive that. I told him—'

'That you didn't care about me. I know. And it hurt a lot, lass, but you'd just been attacked yourself. You were being hunted, and you knew that, and you saw me there and panicked. No one could expect you to think of a perfect plan in the few seconds you had. You tried, and it went wrong, but that happens. It happens a lot.'

'It shouldn't happen when your life is at stake.'

'You were unlucky. But then you risked everything to save me, and there's really nothing more you can do to make up for it.' Bryn smiled a little. 'Listen to me – _I forgive you_. Now please, please, try to forgive yourself.'

Lorien finally looked up from the ground at Bryn. 'I just... You don't know what it's like to see someone you... To see you there. Every time I think about it, I see it. I could always rely on you, but suddenly I started seeing you as impermanent, and destructible, and knew there was nothing I could do about it. I can't save you every time. And I feel so – fragile – as it is... What can I even do to protect you?'

'Lorien. Focus on what you're doing – protecting _everyone_. I'm part of that, aren't I? So is Rune. So is all of the Guild. You can't be everywhere at once. You need to trust me to look after myself until you're back. I made it through twenty years without you – I'll be alright.'

Lorien hesitated, then nodded. The motion caused two tears to run from her eyes, and Bryn's face fell.

'Please don't cry,' he said. He wiped the tears away – one with each thumb. 'You'll get this job done in no time, and you can come back to the Guild if that's what you want to do. We'll be waiting for you there, I promise.'

Lorien nodded again, as though trying to reassure herself. When Bryn pulled her towards him, she wrapped her arms around him and didn't let go for what felt like a long time.

When Bryn had finally left to find Rune, and Lorien had climbed the seven thousand steps all over again, she found High Hrothgar almost as she'd left it. Everyone who was there – Tullius, Ulfric, Legate Rikke, Jarl Elisif, Galmar, Delphine, Esbern and the Greybeards themselves – turned to look at her.

Lorien shut the door behind her and met their gazes. 'I'm ready,' she told them. 'Here's what I need you all to do.'


	35. Tinvaak With an Old Dovah

Over the next few weeks, a lot changed. Lorien left High Hrothgar with General Tullius and Jarl Elisif, and made a public announcement to all of Solitude about the true dragon threat. Her words were written down and her face was sketched by many different hands. The message was sent to every hold in Skyrim – this is the Dragonborn. She is under protection. Harm her and ensure not only your own doom, but everyone else's too.

Ulfric Stormcloak spread the word about the Thalmor's betrayal. Lorien avoided all questions on this matter – she still hated to think about it, let alone entertain it as a topic of conversation. She still felt her heart beat faster whenever a door squeaked open near her, still avoided looking at her scars. But gradually, she was becoming more herself again. She had to – suddenly, the pace had increased, and Lorien needed to keep up.

Tullius and Ulfric were not the only ones to make temporary peace. There was an uneasy truce between the Greybeards and the Blades, based entirely on the one thing they could agree on – the Dragonborn needed to be protected. Lorien wasn't sure how she felt about all this _protection_. Mostly she felt like a prized possession – an item of value – but she tried not to think about this too much.

After the announcements had been made and Lorien had spoken to the people, she travelled back to High Hrothgar. The Greybeards taught her every Shout they could in the limited time, as preparation for what was to come, and Lorien felt as though she grew stronger with every new Word of Power she learnt.

Eventually, the day came when she was taught the Shout that would allow her to reach Paarthurnax – the mysterious Greybeard leader on the peak of the mountain. The Greybeards led her outside, into the courtyard, and towards a flight of steps. Lorien almost gasped – the stairs to nowhere, that she'd tried to climb so long ago. This was why she'd been forbidden to go near them. They led to Paarthurnax.

Arngeir taught Lorien three Words of Power before she set off – _lok_ , _vah_ and _koor_.

'This Shout will clear away the mist,' he told her, 'but only for a time. The path to Paarthurnax is perilous, and not to be embarked upon lightly. Keep moving, stay focused on your goal... and you will reach the summit.' _The summit_. Lorien smiled, but Arngeir did not return the gesture. 'Please, Lorien – be careful.'

She nodded, and began moving up the steps. The wind was just as strong as she remembered, but this time when she reached the top of the stairs, she retaliated with something even stronger.

' _LOK VAH KOOR_!' she yelled into the mist. The wind snatched her words away, and for a moment Lorien thought the Shout might not work – but then the fog began to dissipate, and the wind calmed. Lorien smiled, breathed a sigh of relief, and moved forwards.

The path headed upwards, cutting through the rocks so that they rose up on either side of Lorien. She didn't mind. She moved quickly, just as Arngeir had told her to. The wind picked up again, and Lorien saw the mist – there, at the top of this short climb. The sky-clearing Shout did its work again, and Lorien hurried onwards. She crossed a narrow wooden bridge leading over a ravine without even stopping to think about how rotten it might be.

Around the corner from the bridge, something sharp shot into Lorien's arm. She cried out, then saw it – an ice wraith. Within another moment Lorien had drawn her sword and sliced it in half, the icy remains dropping to the ground.

Lorien kept her sword drawn as she continued. Another ice wraith appeared when Lorien cleared the fog once more, but she was ready – she shattered it within half a minute.

The path steepened, and Lorien stopped to marvel at the view for a few seconds. She'd never been this high up before – the Throat of the World was the tallest mountain in Skyrim, and soon she'd be at the very summit.

Her high spirits were dampened somewhat by the sight of a skeleton, half-buried in the snow, a shield still lying beside the remains. Lorien steeled herself and continued. _You're nearly there._

The path suddenly grew far steeper, and Lorien found that she was struggling a little to climb it. It wasn't a long incline, though, and she pushed herself forwards. This had to mean she was close.

She was. But when she finally rounded the corner and reached the very top of the mountain, there was no small building, as Lorien had expected to see – not even a shack. Lorien frowned. How could a man live up here?

Lorien continued moving, glancing around her for any sign of life. Nothing. Nothing other than a half-ruined Word Wall. Lorien began to approach this, as it was the only notable structure on the summit, but was interrupted by the sound of wings beating the air. _Dragon_.

Lorien looked upwards, immediately drawing her bow. Oh, gods – what if Paarthurnax had been killed by this dragon, and whatever he was living in had been destroyed? How would she tell the Greybeards? If she even survived herself.

The ground shook as the dragon landed, and Lorien staggered to one side. As soon as she'd regained her balance, she moved forwards.

' _Drem yol lok_ ,' the dragon said, taking her by surprise. 'Greetings, _wunduniik_.'

'Greetings?' Lorien echoed. 'Why are you greeting me? You're a—'

'I am Paarthurnax,' the dragon said.

Lorien lowered her bow. 'You're... You're Paarthurnax.'

'And who are you? What brings you to my _strunmah_ – my mountain?'

'I know what _strunmah_ means,' Lorien said indignantly. 'And you—I—I wasn't expecting you to be a dragon!'

'I am as my father Akatosh made me,' Paarthurnax said, his deep voice rumbling through Lorien. 'As are you... _Dovahkiin_.'

'You know who I am?'

'Tell me. Why do you come here, _volaan_? Why do you intrude on my meditation?'

Lorien looked around her, as though the Greybeards would appear and explain that—that—Well, explain why their master was a dragon. No one came, though.

'I need to learn the Dragonrend Shout,' Lorien said after a moment. 'Can you... teach me?'

' _Drem_. Patience. There are formalities which must be observed, at the first meeting of two of the _dov_.' Paarthurnax turned his massive body to face the Word Wall. 'By long tradition,' he added, looking back at Lorien, 'the elder speaks first. Hear my _Thu'um_! Feel it in your bones! Match it, if you are _dovahkiin_!' And with that, he looked towards the Word Wall and roared, ' _Yol toor shul_!'

Lorien stared at the blast of fire that Paarthurnax produced. It struck the World Wall and left it smouldering. The fiery glow formed letters – Dovah letters. Lorien moved towards the wall.

'The Word calls you,' Paarthurnax said. 'Go to it.'

Lorien drew close enough that she could feel the heat from the stone. She felt the word branded in her mind, as if Paarthurnax had burned it into her rather than the wall.

'A gift, _Dovahkiin_. _Yol_. Understand fire as the _dov_ do.'

Lorien turned back to Paarthurnax, and felt his own power flood into her. It was nothing like learning Words from the Greybeards – it was stronger. She felt as though it might tear her apart and mend her in every place she was broken all at once.

It was only when Lorien's feet touched the ground again that she realised she'd been lifted into the air slightly.

Her eyes were wide and her breathing deep as she looked at Paarthurnax again.

'Now,' he said. 'Show me what you can do. Greet me not as mortal, but as _dovah_!'

Lorien turned away from Paarthurnax. She could already feel the Word trying to escape her – it wasn't difficult at all to turn it into a Shout.

' _YOL_!' she yelled, and the Word became flames that leapt from her lips. She was shocked for a moment, but stood her ground as she looked to Paarthurnax again.

'Ah, yes!' he boomed. ' _Sossedov los mul_! The dragonblood runs strong in you. It is long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my own kind.' He turned to face Lorien fully. 'So... you have made your way here, to me. No easy task for a _joor_. Even for one of _dovah sos_. What would you ask of me?'

'Can you teach me the Dragonrend Shout?' Lorien asked.

'Ah. I have expected this. _Prodah_. You would not come all this way for _tinvaak_ with an old _dovah_.'

'I didn't even know you were here,' Lorien admitted. 'The Greybeards never told me.'

'It is a shame,' Paarthurnax said. 'I would have liked to be visited by one of my own. But I know you are here now to seek your weapon against Alduin.'

'You knew I would come looking for it.'

' _Alduin komeyt tiid_. Alduin and _dovahkiin_ return together. But I do not know the _Thu'um_ you seek. _Krosis_. It cannot be known to me.'

'What?' Lorien felt her hopes sink.

'Your kind – _joorre_ – created it as a weapon against the _dov_ ,' Paarthurnax continued. 'Our _hahdrimme_ cannot even... comprehend its concepts.'

'Then how can I learn it?' Lorien said desperately. 'It's the only way to—'

' _Drem_. All in good time. First, a question for you – why do you want to learn this _Thu'um_?'

'To stop Alduin.'

Paarthurnax let out a sigh – if dragons could do that. 'Yes, Alduin... _zeymah_. The elder brother. Gifted, grasping and troublesome – as is so often the case with firstborn. But why? Why must you stop Alduin?'

'The prophecy says that he'll destroy the world, and that only the Dragonborn can stop him. I have to try. I don't want the world to end – I can't let it.'

' _Qostiid_ tells what may be – not what should be. _Qostiid sahlo aak_. Just because you can do a thing, does not always mean you should. Do you have no better reason for acting than destiny? Are you simply a plaything of _dez_?'

'I will stop Alduin for myself and everyone else in Skyrim – in Tamriel. Even on Nirn.'

Paarthurnax tilted his head. 'Perhaps your destiny will be fulfilled. Who can say? _Dez motmahus_ – even to the _dov,_ who ride the currents of Time. Alduin believes that he will prevail, with good reason. _Rok mul._ And he is no fool – far from it. He began as the wisest and most far-seeing of us all. But... you have indulged my weakness for speech long enough. _Krosis_. Now I will answer your question. Do you know why I live here – at the peak of the _Monahven_?'

Lorien frowned. That didn't sound like an answer to her question. 'Because dragons like mountains?'

Paarthurnax chuckled. 'True. But few now remember that this was the very spot where Alduin was defeated by the ancient Tongues. _Vahruki unslaad_... Perhaps none but me now remember how he was defeated.'

'By using the Dragonrend Shout?'

'Yes and no. _Viik nuz ni kron_. Alduin was not truly defeated, either. If he was, you would not be here today, seeking to... defeat him. The Nords of those days used the Dragonrend Shout to cripple Alduin. But this was not enough. _Ok mulaag unslaad_. It was the _Kel_. They used it to... cast him adrift, on the currents of Time.'

'The _Kel_?'

'Hmm... How to explain in your tongue? The _dov_ have words for such things that _joorre_ do not.'

'I can speak Dovah. Mostly.'

'You will not know these words, Dovahkiin. They are the most ancient of all. A _Kel_ is an... artefact from outside time. It does not exist, but it has always existed. _Rah wahlaan_. They are... hmm. Fragments of creation. The _Kelle_ have often been used for prophecy. Your prophecy comes from a _Kel_. But this is only a small part of their power. _Zofaas suleyk_.'

'So if the... Tongues... sent Alduin, uh, adrift on the currents of Time... do you mean they sent him here? To the present – or the future, I suppose.'

Paarthurnax nodded his enormous head. 'Not intentionally. Some hoped he would be gone forever – forever lost. _Meyye._ I knew better – _tiid bo amativ_. Time flows ever onward. One day, he would surface. Which is why I have lived here. For thousands of mortal years, I have waited. I knew where he would emerge, but not when.'

'You never left this mountain?'

'Never.'

Lorien sighed, processing everything she'd heard. 'How does this help me? I still need to know how to defeat Alduin now that he is back.'

' _Tiid krent_. Time was... shattered here, because of what the ancient Nords did to Alduin. If you brought that _Kel_ back here – to the _Tiid-Ahraan_ – you may be able to cast yourself back. To the other end of the break in time. You could learn Dragonrend from those who created it.'

'Go back in time?' Lorien repeated. 'Would I—Could I come back here afterwards?'

'I imagine so, Dovahkiin. There is only one way to know for sure.'

She nodded. 'Well... do you know where I could find the _Kel_?'

 _'Krosis._ No. I know little of what has passed below in the long years I have lived here. You are likely better informed than I. Trust your instincts, _Dovahkiin_ – your blood will show you the way.'

'Please – my name is Lorien.'

'Lorien,' Paarthurnax repeated. 'A _dov_ name, indeed. Who gave it to you?'

'I chose it myself,' Lorien told him. 'It's a _dov_ name? What does that mean?'

'So many questions, _Dovahkiin_.'

'Of course I have questions!' Lorien laughed. 'Like – if you're the master of the Greybeards, do others come here to train?'

'I have taught the Way of the Voice for centuries, and the _Thu'um_ since long before that. But... no, Lorien. Others do not come here to train anymore. _Saraan._ You are the first in over a hundred years. I meditate on the _Rotmulaag_. I counsel in their use. It is enough for me.'

'And—what do I do with the _Kel_ when I find it?'

'Return it here, to the _Tiid-Ahraan_. Then... _Kelle vomindok_. Nothing is certain with such things. But I believe the _Kel's_ bond with the _Tiid-Ahraan_ will allow you a... a seeing, a vision of the moment of its creation. Then you will feel – know – Dragonrend, in the power of its first expression. You will see them... _wuth fadonne_... my friends. Hakon, Gormlaith, Felldir.'

'Who are they?'

'The first mortals that I taught the _Thu'um_ – the first Tongues. The leaders of the rebellion against Alduin. They were mighty in their day. Even to attempt to defeat Alduin... _sahrot hunne_. The Nords have had many heroes since, but none greater.'

'I'll try to do them justice,' Lorien said, feeling more than a little pressure. 'For now – _unslaad kogaan_.'

' _Kos nau hin dein, Dovahkiin. Alduin lost suleyk hi nis mindoraan_.'

Lorien nodded, trying not to show the fear she felt. ' _Zu'u fen daal – wah tinvaak voth aan wuth dovah_.'

' _Zu'u hind hi fen_.' Paarthurnax gave what Lorien thought was a smile before beating his wings and rising into the air once more.

Lorien squinted upwards, watching him go. When he had disappeared above the clouds, she couldn't help but laugh. A dragon. No wonder the Greybeards were secretive about their leader.

Still smiling a little, she began the journey down the mountain again.

When she reached High Hrothgar, she found the Greybeards waiting anxiously for her. 'I'm alright,' she assured them. 'And I spoke with Paarthurnax. He is... very wise.'

Arngeir nodded. 'What did he tell you?'

'I need to find a _Kel_ ,' Lorien explained. 'It's a Dovah word, I think, but I don't know of any equivalent in our tongue.'

'We call them the Elder Scrolls,' Arngeir told her. 'And such blasphemies are the calling of mages. Not follower of the Way.'

'I didn't mean to—'

'Take your question to the College of Winterhold,' Arngeir interrupted, not meeting Lorien's eyes. 'They may be able to help you. Now excuse me – we must return to our meditation.'

Lorien opened her mouth to speak again, but Arngeir turned away before she could. The other Greybeards followed after him, and for the second time in her life Lorien found herself alone in High Hrothgar's courtyard.

She wasn't pleased about it this time.


	36. I'm Average Height!

It took Lorien another day just to reach Winterhold, and she found it similar to how she remembered – a little miserable and very cold. She pulled her fur cloak a little tighter around her and pushed through the snow towards the College. When she reached the entrance – well, the entrance to the bridge – an Altmer woman blocked the way.

Immediately, Lorien's hand went to her sword and she stepped backwards. Her head filled with images of the Thalmor. It was only when she managed to see through these and take in the robes – obviously mage's – the elf was wearing that she calmed down a little.

'Halt,' the Altmer said. 'Why do you wish to enter the College of Winterhold?' She had the same haughty voice as all High Elves seemed to.

'I'm looking to learn more about the _K_ —the Elder Scrolls,' Lorien told her.

'You are? Well... it is true there are some here who have spent years studying the accumulated knowledge of the Scrolls. But what you seek does not come easily, and can destroy those without a strong will.'

Lorien shrugged. 'I'll take that chance.'

'Suit yourself,' the Altmer said. 'But you require a short lesson before you may enter. And perhaps a test—'

'I didn't come here for a lecture,' Lorien interrupted. 'I'm the Dragonborn, alright? I'm here to find out more about the Elder Scrolls so that I can defeat Alduin.'

The Altmer looked shocked. 'The Dragonborn? Yes... it is you. We heard about—well. By all means, you may enter, but... would you perhaps show me one of the legendary Shouts?'

Lorien sighed. 'Fine. How about I stop this damned snow?'

'You can do that?'

Lorien looked upwards and took a breath before Shouting. ' _Lok vah koor_!'

Immediately, the snow began to thin out. Within half a minute it had stopped falling completely. The Altmer mage watched, impressed.

'Amazing,' she said. 'Please, go right ahead into the College. And speak to Mirabelle Ervine if you find her. She'll be most interested to meet you. Oh – if you're interested in the Elder Scrolls, head to the Arcanaeum. Downstairs in the main building. Talk to Urag gro-Shub – grumpy orc, but the sharpest man here.'

Lorien nodded her thanks and hurried past the Altmer towards the College. The bridge was clearly in a state of disrepair – there were several places where part of it had fallen away, narrowing the path. The stone was slippery with snow and ice, and although Lorien walked slowly, she nearly overbalanced a few times. Once, she lurched towards the edge and only just caught herself. She froze there, breathing shallow and arms outstretched.

'Okay,' Lorien said to herself. 'You're fine.' She straightened up, very aware of the pounding in her chest. _Got to keep moving._

The snow began coming down again, quite hard. Lorien was glad of this when she finally reached the College – it meant no one was outside to ask what she was doing there or stop her.

She walked with purpose towards what had to be the main building, and was immediately confronted with a choice between two doors – one to the left and one to the right. She opened the one on the right and peered inside – stairs, leading downwards. The Altmer had said downstairs. This seemed like a good place to start.

Lorien followed the stairs and emerged in a very large circular room. The walls were lined with cupboards or shelves full of books. There was a slightly lower circular level in the centre of the room, containing a table with two chairs. Alcoves in the shorter stone walls nearby contained even more books.

Lorien gazed around her, wanting nothing more than to gather an armful of books and sit here for hours. Maybe there was something to be said for this College after all.

She tore her eyes away from the books and caught sight of an aged orc sitting behind a wooden counter on the opposite side of the room. He was reading – of course – and hadn't seen Lorien yet. She moved closer, and eventually he looked up, sighing.

'I don't recognise you,' he said bluntly. 'What are you here for?'

Lorien leant over the counter slightly. 'I—Your library is amazing,' she told the orc, whom she assumed was Urag.

'My _Arcanaeum_ is, indeed. Now what do you want?'

'I'm in search of an Elder Scroll.'

'Of course you are.' Urag looked Lorien up and down as he stood slowly. 'Because it's as easy as that. And what are you going to do if you find it? Read it?'

'No, I—'

'An Elder Scroll is an instrument of immense knowledge and power. To read an Elder Scroll, a person must have the most rigorously trained mind, or else risk madness. Even then, the Divines usually take the reader's sight as a price.'

'Price for what?'

Urag sighed again. 'The simplest way to put it for you is "knowledge" – but there is nothing simple about an Elder Scroll. It's a reflection of all possible futures and all possible pasts. Each reader sees different reflections through different lenses, and may come away with a very different reading. But at the same time, all of it is true. Even the falsehoods. _Especially_ the falsehoods.'

'Wow. But then – who wrote the Scrolls?'

'It would take a month to explain to you how that very question doesn't even make sense. The Scrolls exist here, with us, but also beyond and beneath. Before and after. They are bits of Divine made substance, so we could know them. Some people who study them devoutly go mad.'

Lorien frowned. 'Look, I realise that I've just walked in here, and you've never seen me before, and I probably seem like an incredibly ignorant and young adventurer who wants to find an Elder Scroll for no good reason—'

'Took the words right out of my mouth, Redguard.'

'But that's not how it is. You must have heard about Alduin, and the Dragonborn?'

Urag cast a discerning eye over her. 'I see,' he said after a few seconds of silence. 'I should have known. You do match the description.'

'The—description?'

'Twenty years of age—'

'Nearly twenty-one.'

'Female, Redguard, very curly hair.'

'All true.'

'Oh, and short.'

'Short?' Lorien repeated indignantly. 'I'm not—I'm average height!'

'Can't argue with the description issued,' Urag shrugged. 'So. You're the Dragonborn.'

Lorien nodded. 'Yes. The _short_ Dragonborn, apparently.'

Urag raised an eyebrow at her. 'Let it go, Lorien. That is your name, isn't it?'

'It is. So – can you help me?'

'With your search for an Elder Scroll?' Urag turned away and moved towards one of the bookshelves. He ran his hand over the spines of the books, peering at the titles. Lorien wished she could join him, but she simply watched until Urag pulled two books from the shelf and brought them to his counter. Lorien took hold of the first one, carefully, and Urag nodded. She opened it.

 _RUMINATIONS ON THE ELDER SCROLLS_ , read the first page. _A philosophical view on the role of the Elder Scrolls by Septimus Signus._

_Imagine living beneath the waves with a strong-sighted blessing of most excellent fabric. Holding the fabric over your gills, you would begin to breathe-drink its warp and weft. Though the plantmatter fibres imbue your soul, the wretched plankton would pollute the cloth until it stank to heavens of prophecy. This is one manner in which the Elder Scrolls first came to pass, but are we the sea, or the breather, or the fabric? Or are we the breath itself?_

Lorien glanced up from the pages to look at Urag. He had gone back to his own book, so Lorien took a seat on the stool at the counter and continued.

_Can we flow through the Scrolls as knowledge flows through, being the water, or are we the stuck morass of sea-filth that gathers on the edge?_

Lorien couldn't help but wonder whether or not this Septimus was ever going to answer his seemingly endless questions.

_Imagine, again, this time but different. A bird cresting the wind is lifted by a gust and downed by a stone. But the stone can come from above, if the bird is upside down. Where, then, did the gust come from? And which direction? Did the gods send either, or has the bird decreed their presence by her own mindmaking?_

_The all-sight of the Scrolls makes a turning of the mind such that relative positions are absolute in their primacy._

Lorien set the book down, a little dejected. 'As interesting as this book is, I'm not sure how helpful it'll be.'

'Try the other one,' Urag said without looking up from his own reading material.

Lorien did so. This one was called _Effects of the Elder Scrolls_ , by Justinius Poluhnius.

_It is widely known among scholars that the Elder Scrolls entail a certain hazard in their very reading. The mechanism of the effects has, at present, been largely unknown – theories of hidden knowledge and divine retribution were the subject of idle speculation with little investigation._

_I, Justinius Poluhnius, have undertaken to thoroughly document the ailments afflicted by the Elder Scrolls on their readers, though a unified theory of how they manifest continues to elude me and remains a subject for future study._

_I have grouped the effects into four, finding that the avenue of experience depends largely upon the mind of the reader. If this is unclear, I hope that a proper dichotomy will lay it plain._

Lorien flicked through the four groups Justinius had mentioned – the naifs, the unguarded intellects, those with meditated understanding and those of illuminated understanding. Lorien was hesitant to class herself as any kind of intellect and didn't understand much that she'd heard recently, so she started with the naifs.

_For one who has received no training in the history or nature of the Elder Scrolls, the scroll itself is, effectively, inert. No prophecy can be scried, nor knowledge obtained. While the scroll will not impart learning to the uninformed, nor will it afflict them in any adverse fashion. Visually, the scroll will appear to be awash in odd lettering and symbols. Those who know their astronomy often claim to recognise constellations in the patterns and connections, but such conjecture is impossible to further investigate since the very nature of this study necessitates unlearned subjects._

Well, Lorien liked the sound of not being afflicted in an "adverse fashion". Just in case, she read the section on unguarded intellects too.

_It is this second group that realises the greatest danger from attempting to read the scrolls. These are subjects who have an understanding of the nature of the Elder Scrolls and possess sufficient knowledge to actually read what is inscribed there. They have not, however, developed adequate discipline to stave off the mind-shattering effect of having a glimpse of infinity. These unfortunate souls are struck immediately, irrevocably, and completely blind. Such is the price for overreaching one's faculties. It bears mentioning, though, that with the blindness also comes a fragment of that hidden knowledge – whether future, the past, or the deep natures of being is dependent on the individual and their place in the greater spheres. But the knowledge does come._

To Lorien, it seemed as though she should keep her knowledge about the Kelle – or the Elder Scrolls, as everyone else called them – to a minimum. She promptly closed the book and set it back down on the counter.

'That one was a lot more informative,' she told Urag.

'Hm,' he said. 'The first was written by Septimus Signus. He's a specialist in the lore of Elder Scrolls, but went mad and ran off north to study some Dwemer artefact.'

'He's mad?' Lorien repeated, her heart sinking a little.

'Obsessed with the Dwemer. Might still be able to help you find an Elder Scroll, though – who knows. Last I heard, he's living in a cave directly north of here.'

Lorien nodded. 'I'll head north, then.'

Urag returned to his book. It was only when Lorien had turned to leave that he said, as an afterthought, 'Good luck, Dragonborn.'


	37. I Don't Have Time to be Your Emissary

It took longer than Lorien would have liked to admit to find Signus' hideout. She almost missed it even then – the only indicator were two lit torches embedded in the ice. Below them was a tiny entrance of sorts, covered by wooden boards. Lorien pushed these aside and squeezed into the ice cave.

Directly behind the "door" was what looked like a corridor of ice. Lorien pulled the wooden boards over the entrance behind her and moved forwards, drawing her dagger as she moved. The floor was icy in places, and Lorien nearly slipped several times before reaching the end of the corridor.

She came to an abrupt halt as the path disappeared. Lorien looked down, and saw a man in robes – Signus? – and an enormous sculpture of some kind. Dwemer, judging by the material and engravings. It looked like a massive box embedded in the ice.

Lorien continued down the path, which followed the edge of the cave, until she reached the floor. There, she called out to the man. He didn't seem to have noticed her yet.

'Are you Septimus Signus?' Lorien asked.

The man spun round on the spot. 'Who wants to know?' he asked.

'I'm Lorien. I heard you know a lot about Elder Scrolls.'

Septimus eyed Lorien warily. 'Elder Scrolls? Indeed. The Empire, you see – they absconded with them. Or so they _think_. The ones they _saw_. The ones they _thought_ they saw. I know of one. Forgotten. Sequestered.'

Lorien nodded patiently.

'But I cannot go to it, not poor Septimus, for I... I have arisen beyond its grasp.'

'Then – where is it?'

'Here.' Septimus considered this, then shrugged. 'Well – here as in this plane. Mundus. Tamriel. Nearby, relatively speaking. On the cosmological scale, it's all nearby...' He trailed off, looking around him.

Lorien smiled tightly. 'Can you help me find it?' she asked. 'A lot depends on that scroll.'

'One block lifts the other,' Septimus told her. 'Septimus will give what you want, but you must bring him something in return.'

'Fair enough. What is it that you want?'

'You see this masterwork of the Dwemer?' he asked, gesturing to the massive box in the ice. 'Deep inside their greatest knowings. Septimus is clever among men, but he is an idiot child compared to the dullest of the Dwemer. Lucky, then, that they behind their own way of reading the Elder Scrolls. In the depths of Blackreach one yet lies.' Septimus looked at Lorien as if he'd forgotten she was there. 'Oh – have you heard of Blackreach? _Cast upon where Dwemer cities slept, the yearning spire hidden learnings kept_.'

'Sure,' Lorien said uncertainly. 'Well, where is Blackreach?'

'Under deep. Below the dark. The hidden keep. Tower Mzark. Alftand. The point of puncture, of first entry, of the tapping. Delve to its limits, and Blackreach lies just beyond.' Septimus nodded gravely, as though this was the most meaningful knowledge he could bestow. 'But not all can enter there. Only Septimus knows the hidden key to loose the lock to jump beneath the deathly rock.'

'Well, that all sounds great,' Lorien said. 'What is the hidden key?'

'Two things I have for you,' Septimus told her, turning away and searching through the nearby cupboard. 'Two shapes – one edged, one round. The round one, for tuning. Dwemer music is soft and subtle, and needed to open their cleverest gates.' He turned back to Lorien, handing her a bronze coloured orb with inlaid gold patterns covering it. She stared at the orb, unsure what to make of it, then looked up at Septimus again. 'The edged Lexicon,' he was saying, 'for inscribing. To us, a hunk of metal. To the Dwemer, a full library of knowings. But – empty.' He handed Lorien a cube, similarly coloured and decorated to the sphere. 'Find Mzark and its sky-dome! The machinations there will read the Scroll and lay the lore upon the cube. Trust Septimus – he knows you can know.'

Lorien looked again at the strange items Septimus had given to her. A bronze sphere – for tuning? – and a... lexicon.

'Thank you,' she said to Septimus. It was a better lead than she'd found anywhere else, after all.

* * *

Lorien sent a letter to Delphine and Esbern before setting off for Alftand. She also sent one to the Greybeards, although she didn't expect them to respond. Both letters simply informed the recipient that Lorien was safe, and that she was following a lead from an expert on Elder Scrolls, somewhere near Winterhold. Both parties probably would have appreciated more specific information, but Lorien was still hesitant to disclose her exact location or exactly what she was doing in case the letters were intercepted. She signed both of them with an L instead of her name.

When she did finally reach Alftand, it was getting dark. It made crossing the wooden bridges leading to the entrance a little scarier, but Lorien knew that she'd never been closer to finding a _Kel_. She had to keep moving.

The entrance led to a maze of icy cave tunnels, supported by wooden beams. It was clear that others had been here – there were barrels and other debris littering the first few stretches of icy pathway, and in places the ice was stained with blood.

Old blood, Lorien noted. There were a few bedrolls around too.

It wasn't long after passing the blood and bedrolls that Lorien heard a voice echoing on the ice. She froze in place – it was the last thing she'd expected to hear.

'Where is it?' the voice was saying urgently. 'I know you were trying to keep it for yourself, J'zhar – you always try to keep it to yourself!'

 _Two people?_ Lorien wondered. She drew her bow, just in case, and edged closer to the voice – although the echoing made it hard to tell where it was coming from. Still, there seemed to be an obvious path through the icy caverns.

Lorien moved quickly and quietly, and didn't come across the source of the voice again. The next noise she encountered was that of a Dwemer spider mechanism, which she shot down the minute it moved. Its metal legs spasmed and it slumped to the stone floor with a clatter.

Lorien kept hold of her bow – there would undoubtedly be more somewhere. It was unlikely to come across one at a time, from her experience.

There was another, and shortly afterwards Lorien came across a lit torch lying on the ground. She frowned and notched an arrow to her bow, listening intently.

There – footsteps. And at the end of the pathway was a Khajiit, crouched low with a dagger in his hand.

'What?' he hissed, and Lorien realised he was the owner of the voice she'd heard earlier. 'Who is this, brother? Another of the smooth skins looking for food?' He turned, catching sight of Lorien. 'But this one wasn't trapped with us...'

Lorien released her arrow before the Khajiit could move any closer. He crumpled to the ground and slid over the snow to the bottom of the path. Lorien reached the bottom shortly afterwards, stepping over the body.

A few months earlier, she would have hesitated to shoot, would have stared at the dead Khajiit in horror. Now she didn't even look back.

The path led onwards, and Lorien never came across the mysterious J'zhar that the Khajiit had been speaking to. The icy caverns turned into stone corridors – Dwemer ruins, Lorien realised. At one point, she narrowly avoided being shoved off a ledge by large pistons. She ended up clambering over them instead, and found that the door into the animonculory wasn't far away.

The corridors there were partially filled with clouds of steam, seeping through the grates in the floor or gushing from the pistons above. Lorien hesitated before walking through it, but experienced no ill effects and continued. It was when she clambered up a steep stone ramp that she came across the next issue. The stone shifted under her feet, and there was a sudden noise like a blade being unsheathed. Lorien froze, and didn't see the spinning blades that had emerged from the floor until it was too late.

As she turned, one of the blades sliced into her side and she yelled in pain. The blades continued spinning up the ramp as Lorien fell to the floor. She was almost caught again as the blades began moving towards her once more, but flattened herself against the stone just in time. She heard them pass over her head and felt her hair stir slightly in the breeze the blades created.

 _Move,_ she told herself. She couldn't reach her wound properly while lying on the ground. _You can heal yourself if you get to the top._

Lorien curled her hands into fists and used her forearms and elbows to drag her body across the floor. Her body screamed in pain and protest – it was a familiar feeling. Horribly familiar.

Lorien pressed her forehead against the stone for a moment. _Don't go back. You have to keep moving._

Gradually, she eased herself towards the top of the ramp. The blades spun over her head constantly, and her body felt weaker by the second. _Nearly there._

Finally – the ridge where the ramp ended. Lorien gripped it and heaved herself over the top, slumping against the wall beside her as soon as she could.

' _Resarcio_ ,' she breathed, covering her wound with her hand. 'Come on. _Resarcio_.' The wound began to hurt a little less, then to close. Lorien sighed, relieved, and pain shot through her. 'No,' she murmured, her head falling back against the wall. 'Not—again. Please...'

The wound closed. Lorien let her hand fall to the floor and stood up shakily. The blades were still spinning.

Lorien left them behind, turning the corner to find the way blocked by vertical bars. She almost rolled her eyes. Couldn't they make it easy for her, just once?

Luckily, there was a lever nearby. Lorien pushed it forwards, glancing around her for potential traps. Nothing happened other than the bars retracting into the floor.

The path led her out onto a stone walkway, suspended above a cavern. It sloped downwards soon enough, in an unnervingly steep manner. Lorien took every step with care. She couldn't make any more mistakes today.

The path broke off soon, and the only door was locked. Although Lorien could have picked it, she looked over the edge of the path first and spotted a body lying below her. Blood coated the stones around it. There was another path beyond.

None of the other doors Lorien had passed through had been locked. She stared down at the body, knowing instinctively that whoever that was had been on the right track.

Lorien jumped, Shouting as she did. _Feim_ – the first Word of a Thu'um that would make her ethereal – was enough to prevent her from hurting herself when she hit the ground.

The paths beyond this were inhabited by more Falmer than Lorien would have liked. She hated the creatures, and used the Thu'um of Unrelenting Force more than once to catapult them off the walkway.

She came across nothing but Falmer until she reached the Alftand Cathedral. From there, it wasn't long before Lorien came across an enormous room with golden gates at the end of it. She opened one and slipped inside, immediately hearing voices from the opposite side of the smaller chamber she'd entered.

'Sulla, let's just get out of here,' a woman was saying. Lorien recognised the accent immediately – it was a Redguard. 'Hasn't there been enough death?'

Lorien crept closer, hiding behind the strange table in the centre of the chamber.

'Oh, of course you want me to leave!' a man said to the Redguard woman. 'Just waiting for me to turn my back – so you can have all the glory for yourself!'

It wasn't long before they attacked each other. Lorien watched from behind the table. The Redguard woman was clearly stronger, and quite easily overpowered the man and drove him to the ground. He was killed quickly, and as the woman stood up straight she caught sight of Lorien.

'What, are you going to try and steal my prize too?' she yelled.

Lorien's eyes widened. The woman was advancing quickly, so Lorien stepped backwards and did the first thing she could think of.

' _FUS RO DA_!' she yelled. The woman was lifted off her feet and flung against the wall. Her head hit it with a crack that almost made Lorien jump. She watched warily as the body fell to the floor. Blood was spilling from the woman's head. She didn't move.

Lorien turned back to the table. There was a round rebate in a plinth on one side of it. Lorien reached into her satchel for the sphere Septimus had given her, and dropped it into the hole. It fit perfectly.

The floor seemed to vibrate beneath Lorien. She backed away from the table, staring as the stone tiles dropped away one by one to form a staircase. As soon as the noise of stone and stone had ceased, Lorien started forwards and down the stairs. They led to another door – the door to Blackreach.

Blackreach was unlike anything Lorien had ever seen. It was enormous, firstly – it seemed to be contained within a cavern, but if that was the case it was a cavern of unbelievable proportions. There were phosphorescent creatures suspended in the air that looked a little like glowing mushrooms, and small buildings, with doors leading into the stone that surrounded Lorien – seemingly on all sides.

Again, there was a clear path leading through Blackreach. As much as Lorien would've liked to stay and stare at the surroundings for a while, she knew that there was no time to lose. So she followed the path, creeping past Dwarven mechanisms, until she reached what she recognised as a lift. There was a lever in the centre, which Lorien pulled. It juddered into action, plunging Lorien deeper underground.

She emerged into even more stone corridors. It was disconcerting – Lorien felt as though she'd come a long way, but there was no way of knowing where she was at all. She almost shuddered at the thought of finding her way back through Alftand again.

 _We'll deal with that when we need to._ For now, Lorien moved forwards and opened the next door – to be immediately confronted by an enormous gold sphere that towered over her. In its surface were embedded faintly glowing glass circles. Lorien passed them as she climbed the stone pathway that led her up and around the spherical sculpture. At the very top, she found herself in front of a set of five buttons and a plinth of sorts. She reached into her satchel and removed the lexicon, examining it briefly before setting it into the plinth.

Two of the buttons flickered, then began to glow with blue light. The largest one, in the centre, was covered in constellation-like patterns. It too was glowing. The massive sphere in the centre of the room began to rotate, with large metal arms lifting off the surface as it spun. As Lorien stared, in awe of the size and intricacy of the structure, the ceiling opened up and light streamed in.

Instinctively, Lorien reached for the glowing button nearest to the central one. She pressed it, holding her breath.

Nothing happened. Frowning, Lorien pressed it twice more. Still nothing. She gave it a last, angry push before stepping back – and the metal arms began to move again. On their ends were large glass disks, which stopped were now suspended above the sphere. The light from the ceiling was redirected by the glass onto the sphere below. The button on the other side of the central button had also begun glowing.

Lorien pressed it once – nothing – and then again. The glass lenses moved again, focusing the light onto specific spots on the sphere. That looked right. Lorien glanced across at the lexicon, and saw that it had begun to glow. So had the fourth and final button.

Lorien pushed it. The glass lenses swung upwards and away from the sphere, and into their place was lowered a large glass container, encircled by metal rings. Laughing in disbelief, Lorien hurried down the steps and reached the centre of the sculpture just as the glass container turned on its side and split open.

Contained within it was a scroll.

'The _Kel_ ,' Lorien whispered. She reached out tentatively and took hold of the scroll, lifting it out of its holder. Once she had it, she clutched it to her chest and breathed a shaky sigh of relief.

Before she left through the door behind her, she returned to the glowing buttons and grabbed the lexicon – now covered in runes. She would return it to Septimus before using the _Kel_ – he had helped her far more than anyone could have predicted, after all.

* * *

'Give it, quickly,' was all Septimus said when Lorien told him she had the inscribed lexicon. She handed it over, and he examined it almost reverently. 'Oh... the Dwemer had more than even Septimus expected. Extraordinary – I see it now. The sealing structure interlocks in the tiniest fractals. Dwemer blood can loose the hooks, but none remain alive to bear it.'

'Then what—'

'A panoply of their brethren could gather to form a facsimile,' Septimus said without looking at Lorien. 'A trick. Something they didn't anticipate – no, not even them. The blood of Altmer, Bosmer, Dunmer, Falmer and Orsimer... the elves still living provide the key.'

'Well, that—'

'Bear you hence this extractor!' Septimus pushed a strange device into Lorien's hands that he'd retrieved from his cupboard. 'It will drink the fresh blood of elves. Come when its set is complete.'

Lorien stared down at the extractor, more than a little unnerved. 'You really want to open that box, don't you?'

'The box contains the _heart_. The essence of a _god_ ,' Septimus told her. 'I have devoted my life to the Elder Scrolls, but their knowledge is a passing awareness when compared to the encompassing mind of divinity. The Dwemer were the last to touch it. It was thought to have been destroyed by the Nerevarine, but my lord told me otherwise.'

'Your... lord?'

'The Daedric prince of the unknown. Hermaeus Mora. I thought there were no secrets left to know... until I first spoke to him.' With that, Septimus turned away from Lorien, and she was left holding the extractor. A little reluctantly, she slipped it into her satchel and began climbing back up towards the entrance. It didn't take her long to realise that something was wrong.

Dark tentacles were reaching in from the short corridor leading out of the cave, and as Lorien drew closer – her daggers now drawn – she realised the corridor was entirely blocked by a swirling black shape. Deep within it she thought she could see an eye. _Several_ eyes.

'Come closer.' A voice emanated from the darkness – it seemed impossibly deep. 'Bask in my presence.'

Lorien moved nearer. 'Who—What are you?'

'I am Hermaeus Mora. I am the guardian of the unseen, and knower of the unknown. I have been watching you, mortal. Most impressive.'

'The Daedric prince,' Lorien murmured. 'What do you want from me?'

'Your continuing to aid Septimus renders him increasingly... useless,' Mora told her. 'He has served me well, but his time is nearing its end. Once that infernal lockbox is opened, he will have exhausted his usefulness to me. When that time comes, you shall take his place as my emissary. What say you?'

Lorien shook her head. 'I don't have time to be anyone's emissary,' Lorien told him. 'And I can't say I've heard many good things about the Daedra.'

The voice seemed to chuckle. 'Be warned. Many have thought as you do, and I have broken them all. You shall not evade me forever.'

The black shape began to dissipate, and Lorien slowly slid her daggers back into her belt. She was still a little shocked that Hermaeus Mora – practically a god, or at least worshipped as such – had just spoken to her. And had been watching her. She glanced around, a little unnerved. Septimus didn't seem to have heard or seen anything.

Hesitantly, Lorien left the cave.


	38. Wait - I'm Fighting Alduin NOW?

Paarthurnax was waiting for her when she made it back to the Throat of the World.

Cutting through High Hrothgar had been a little awkward. Lorien had managed to avoid Arngeir, but she did come across two other Greybeards. Both glanced immediately at the scroll strapped to Lorien's back, which she ignored. She greeted them respectfully, then continued until she made it to the top of the mountain.

'You have it,' Paarthurnax said when he saw her. 'The _Kel_.'

Lorien nodded, removing the scroll from her back. 'I told you I'd be back.'

Paarthurnax, who had been perched on the rocks above her, lifted into the air and landed on the ground beside Lorien. 'And here you are. Time shudders at the _Kel's_ touch. There is no question – you are doom-driven. _Kogaan Akatosh_. The very bones of the earth are at your disposal.'

Even as Paarthurnax said that, Lorien could feel it. She could feel the power of the _Kel_ in her hands, and could feel time shifting around her as easily as air. She felt as though she was rooted deep in the world, and that her every move she made could either save or destroy it. She felt... powerful.

She liked it.

'Go, then,' Paarthurnax told her. 'Fulfil your destiny. Take the _Kel_ to the time-wound.'

Lorien nodded, leaving the dragon's side and moving closer to the Word Wall. There – the air itself seemed to be rippling and changing. Lorien stared for a moment, then stepped into her place.

She looked down at the scroll, still in her hands. Who knew what would happen when she opened it? But she could feel the knowledge and potential she was holding, and she needed it.

Lorien held out the scroll in front of her and unrolled it.

The paper was covered in—but no. It didn't seem to be paper at all. It was moving before her very eyes, and the glowing lines that spanned it were too. Lorien thought they formed a circle, although it more resembled a wheel or a spider's web. Several lines stretched from the centre to the edge of the circle. It was covered with strange symbols that made it difficult to discern. Lorien squinted, her eyes beginning to water. She could feel the movement as well as see it. Breathing deeply, she lowered the scroll – but the patterns were still there, hovering in the air in front of her as if imprinted on her eyes. They began to form a spiral. Staring into it felt exactly like being sucked into it. Lorien's vision went a complete and blinding white for a moment – she clamped her hands over her eyes and cried out, but the light was within her and still visible. She dropped to her knees just as her sight returned.

Lorien could still see some of the patterns, but they were distorted and only affected the edges of her vision. She could make out a blurry orange sky, and a dark shape against it. And there—a figure, running away from the shape.

'Gormlaith!' a voice called. 'We're running out of time! The battle—'

' _Daar sul thur se Alduin vokrii_ ,' the shape – a dragon – interrupted. Lorien could see it clearly now. She stepped backwards instinctively. 'But I honour your courage. _Krif voth ahkrin_. Die now, in vain.'

A figure ran forwards, wielding an axe, only to be engulfed in flames. He survived it and was joined by another figure, who launched herself onto the dragon's neck.

'Know that Gormlaith sent you down to death!' she yelled as she plunged her sword into the dragon's head. It slumped to the ground as Gormlaith jumped to safety. 'Hakon! A glorious day, is it not?'

'Have you no thought beyond the bloodying of your blade?' Hakon asked her.

'What else is there?'

'The battle below goes ill. If Alduin does not rise to our challenge, I fear all may be lost.'

'You worry too much, brother,' Gormlaith said dismissively. 'Victory will be ours.'

'Why does Alduin hold back?' Hakon was gazing out into the sky. 'We've staked everything on this plan of yours, old man.'

Lorien looked to her left, where she saw an older man she hadn't noticed before. 'He will come,' the man said. 'He cannot ignore our defiance. And why should he fear us, even now?'

'We've bloodied him well,' Gormlaith pointed out. 'Four of his kin have fallen to my blade alone this day.'

The old man sighed. 'But none have yet stood against Alduin himself. Galthor, Sorri, Birkir...'

It was only then that Lorien noticed – there were many bodies scattered over the mountain top. She dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands.

'They did not have Dragonrend,' Gormlaith said. 'Once we bring him down, I promise I will have his head.'

'You do not understand. Alduin cannot be slain like a lesser dragon. He is beyond our strength... which is why I brought the Elder Scroll.' The old man produced a scroll, just like Lorien's, and showed it to Gormlaith.

'Felldir!' Hakon yelled in shock. 'We agreed not to use it!'

'I never agreed. And if you are right, I will not need it.'

'No. We will deal with Alduin ourselves – here and now.'

Gormlaith turned suddenly, staring out into the sky. 'We shall see soon enough,' she said. 'Alduin approaches!'

'So be it,' Hakon said grimly.

Alduin landed then – on the Word Wall, which in this time was still intact.

' _Meyye_!' he roared. ' _Tahrodiis aanne_! _Him hinde pah liiv_! _Zu'u hin daan_!'

Below him, the warriors drew their weapons. 'Let those that watch from Sovngarde envy us this day!' Gormlaith called. ' _Joor zah frul_!'

Her Shout encircled Alduin, shrouding him in a strange blue light that seemed to weigh him down. He crashed to the ground, causing Lorien and the warriors to stagger.

' _NIVAHRIIN JOORRE_!' Alduin was enraged. 'What have you done? What twisted Words have you created! _Tahrodiis Paarthunax_! My teeth to his neck!' He looked around him wildly. 'But first... _dir ko maar_. You will die in terror, knowing your final fate... To feed my power when I come for you in Sovngarde!'

Gormlaith was the first to strike. 'If I die today,' she told Alduin, 'it will _not_ be in terror!'

'You feel fear for the first time, worm!' Alduin said as they fought. 'I see it in your eyes.'

'Skyrim will be free!'

All three warriors were attacking Alduin now. Lorien could only watch as Gormlaith – who was nearest to Alduin's head – was seized in the dragon's jaws and crushed.

' _No_!' Hakon yelled. 'Damn you!' He was soon caught in another gout of fire.

Felldir drew back, his voice shaking slightly. 'Hold, Alduin on the Wing! Sister Hawk, grant us your sacred breath to make this contract heard!' He held up the Elder Scroll.

'No!' Lorien reached out desperately, but there was nothing she could do.

'Begone, World-Eater!' Felldir called. 'By worlds with older bones than your own, we break your perch on this age and send you out!'

Hakon fell to his knees, and Lorien found herself on the ground too.

'You are banished! Alduin, we shout you out from all out endings unto the last!'

'No, no, no,' Lorien murmured again and again. It changed nothing.

A green light engulfed Alduin, and soon he vanished into it.

'You are banished,' Felldir finished. He lowered the Elder Scroll. 'The World-Eater is gone... may the spirits have mercy on our souls.'

Lorien stared at the ground as the symbols appeared before her eyes again. Once more, she was blinded, and when she felt she ground beneath her change slightly, she blinked repeatedly. The dangers of lasting blindness were prominent in her mind.

But slowly, the world formed around her. The sky was grey rather than orange, and Paarthurnax was in front of her. Lorien was kneeling on the ground, her hands buried in the snow. The _Kel_ lay beside her. She picked it up.

'It's not fair,' she said. 'Alduin should never have been here. They sent him here because they couldn't win.'

'Without Alduin, you would not exist,' Paarthurnax told Lorien. 'It is the _qostiid_.'

She stood, glaring. 'I would. I just wouldn't be the Dragonborn. It's not all I am, you know – I'm not just the Dragonborn. I don't cease to exist without that title.'

'It is your soul, _Dovahkiin_. Without that soul, you would be a different person.'

Lorien made to reply, but before she could, a voice interrupted from above them.

' _Bahloki nahkip sillesejoor_ ,' Alduin called. 'My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, _Dovahkiin_.'

Lorien looked up, startled out of her anger for a moment.

'Die now, and await your fate in Sovngarde!' Alduin flew over the mountaintop, circling back towards Lorien.

Paarthurnax began rising into the air. ' _Lost funt_. You are too late, Alduin!' He looked down at Lorien. ' _Dovahkiin_! Use the Shout!'

The Shout? Lorien frowned – then remembered. Dragonrend.

She glanced around wildly, spotting Alduin above her. ' _Joor zah frul_!' she yelled.

At the same moment, a flaming rock crashed to the ground beside Lorien. She was flung in the other direction, crashing to the ground and skidding across the snow. The _Kel_ slid out of her grasp and spun away from her. She looked up, and saw that more rocks were falling from the sky.

Lorien's eyes widened, and she scrambled to her feet, sprinting towards the rocks. She pressed herself against them under a small overhang just as two more rocks hit the ground. They were closely followed by Alduin himself – now engulfed by the Dragonrend Thu'um. He hit the stone hard, sliding towards Lorien slightly. She immediately notched an arrow to her bow.

Alduin stood, his head swinging round as he searched for Lorien. 'Where are you, _Dovahkiin_? You cannot hide from me!'

Lorien let the arrow fly. It hit Alduin in the neck.

He roared in fury, but other than that the arrow didn't seem to impede him at all. He immediately started moving towards Lorien, who was readying another arrow. If she could hit him, in the eye, perhaps—

Alduin breathed a stream of fire in Lorien's direction. She flattened herself against the ground just in time, but could feel the heat above her. When it vanished, she looked back and saw a massive black scorch mark on the stone.

Hurriedly, Lorien pulled her cowl over her face and her hood over her hair. Then she raised her bow and fired again; this time, the arrow hit Alduin in the side. It only angered him further.

Lorien found herself feeling severely underprepared. She'd only killed about three dragons – other than that, she'd simply absorbed their souls when they were already dead. And now she was facing the most powerful dragon of all, alone on a mountaintop with relatively meagre weaponry.

 _You have your voice,_ she reminded herself. _That's what makes you the Dragonborn_. She tried to remember all the Shouts the Greybeards had taught her, and figure out which one would be most useful now. Alduin was advancing again, and Lorien could see the effects of the Dragonrend were weakening. Soon he would take flight. She needed more time.

' _Tiid klo ul_!' Lorien yelled.

The world slowed down around her. Alduin seemed to pause mid-step – but no, he was just moving more slowly. Everything was. Everything except Lorien.

Drawing her daggers, she sprinted towards Alduin and leapt at his wing. Grabbing hold of the thickest part, where it joined to the body, she hoisted herself up and stuck her dagger into the wing.

It was at that moment that time resumed. Alduin let out a roar of fire, but it could not reach Lorien, who was still clutching Alduin's wing. He shook it, and Lorien let go, holding only her dagger.

As she fell, the blade ripped through the thinner skin of Alduin's wing. He began to rise into the air once more, but it was immediately obvious that he wasn't as balanced as he had been. The uneven tear through his right wing was hampering him.

Paarthurnax took the opportunity to swoop in and attack, but Alduin immediately unleashed more fire. Lorien cried out – partly from having just hit the stone below, but partly from fear for Paarthurnax. She needed to ground Alduin again. It was difficult – the two dragons were locked in a fight, and Lorien had no way of attacking or Shouting without risking hitting Paarthurnax. She kept her gaze on Alduin, keeping track of him until he and Paarthurnax finally broke apart. The first opportunity that arose to use the Dragonrend Shout, Lorien took.

Alduin crashed to the ground once more, roaring in rage. Lorien staggered backwards, then steadied herself. She used his few seconds of imbalance after landing to release arrow after arrow into Alduin – into his side, into his wing, and finally into his head.

But the scales there were hard, and although Alduin grew angrier he did not seem to grow weaker. He opened his mouth to unleash fire on Lorien.

' _Wuld nah kest_!' she Shouted, and sped to one side before the fire could hit her. From there, she ran towards Alduin again. After all, the closer she was to his body, the less risk of being hit by one of those falling rocks or another gout of fire. She threw herself at Alduin, sliding under his neck and thrusting her dagger upwards so that it pierced the soft skin underneath.

Alduin roared and reached for Lorien with his wings. She leapt, throwing her arms around his neck and hauling herself off the ground. As soon as she did so, however, Alduin took flight again.

Lorien, now covered in blood and clinging onto Alduin's neck for dear life, told herself not to look down. She screamed even so as she felt herself being lifted upwards. One of her hands was also clutching her dagger, making it a little more difficult to hold on.

' _Dovahkiin_ , you call yourself?' Lorien could feel Alduin's voice reverberating in his throat. 'Only now can you see the world as a dov does. Are you afraid?'

Lorien squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel her fingers slipping slightly. Before she could fall, she inched herself closer to Alduin's head.

'You are falling, _Dovahkiin_ ,' Alduin told her. He was flying higher and higher.

Lorien almost gasped. How had she forgotten?

' _JOOR ZAH FRUL_!' she screamed.

The Shout wrapped around Alduin again, and slowly Lorien felt him being dragged downwards. She glanced below her – it wasn't enough. She would fall before they made it.

But she was close to Alduin's head now. With the last bit of Lorien's strength, she kicked her legs upwards so that they, too, were wrapped around Alduin's neck. Then she swung the dagger round... into Alduin's eye.

She buried it deep there, then let go. He jerked his head away so violently that Lorien's feet were dislodged, and suddenly she was only holding on by one hand.

'You'll die for that!' Alduin roared.

Lorien fell.

Nothing could have prepared her for how that fall would feel. Her stomach seemed to rocket upwards into her chest, and the wind was cutting into her from every direction. Screams were pointless – they were immediately silenced. Air filled Lorien's mouth and suddenly she couldn't make any noise at all. Couldn't Shout. Couldn't use the only words that would have saved her.

Somewhere, Lorien heard Alduin succumb to the Dragonrend shout and crash to the ground. She knew she'd follow soon. A grey shape appeared below, and Lorien collided with it hard, pain shooting through her body.

Then it moved.

Lorien opened her eyes to find herself staring at... scales. Paarthurnax. The dragon had caught her.

She clung onto him. It was far easier, now – she was seated at the base of his neck, which was considerably more comfortable than holding onto Alduin's from below.

'Lorien,' Paarthurnax said. 'Are you hurt?'

Lorien tried to move a little, and pain shot through her chest. She groaned and nodded, then realised that Paarthurnax couldn't see her. 'Yes. But I'll be fine.' Probably.

Paarthurnax swooped downwards, and Lorien held on a little tighter. There was Alduin, still on the ground. Lorien didn't dare hope that he was dead. As they neared him, Lorien saw her dagger, still embedded in Alduin's left eye.

As Paarthurnax landed, Alduin looked up. ' _Meyz mul, Dovahkiin_ ,' he said, his voice low. 'But I am _Al-du-in_ , firstborn of Akatosh! _Mulaagi zok lot_! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else. You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you, mortal.'

For a final time, Alduin rose into the air. This time he left the mountaintop, disappearing into the distance.

After watching him go, Paarthurnax lowered his head and allowed Lorien to slid off onto the ground. She crumpled there, clutching her chest.

' _Dovahkiin_ ,' Paarthurnax said, a note of concern entering his voice. 'You are hurt.'

Lorien laughed breathlessly, immediately wincing after she did so. 'I fell onto you pretty fast,' she said. 'And it wasn't exactly a soft landing.'

' _Krosis_.'

'No—don't apologise. You saved my life. I just need to...' Lorien pulled herself into the shelter of the Word Wall. She leant against it, trying to regulate her breathing. ' _Resarcio_.' The golden light wrapped itself around Lorien, and she immediately felt a little better. Her bones began to fit back together, the weariness leaving them slightly as the spell worked.

Paarthurnax leaned over the damaged edge of the wall, spreading his wings to provide a little extra shelter. 'Alduin is incredibly powerful,' he told Lorien as she healed herself. 'And I fear his power will only grow.'

'We can't give it time to grow,' Lorien murmured. 'We have to act while he's still a little weakened.'

'You truly have the Voice of a _dovah_ , Lorien. Alduin's allies will think twice after this victory.'

'But Alduin escaped.'

' _Ni liivrah hin moro_. This is not the final _krongrah._ But not even the heroes of old were able to defeat Alduin in open battle. You did – though your methods were... unorthodox.'

Lorien laughed a little at that. Her ribs protested.

'Alduin always was _pahlok_. He took domination as his birth right. This should shake the loyalty of the _dov_ who serve him.'

'How do I find out where he went?'

'One of his allies could tell us. _Motmahus_... But it will not be so easy to convince one of them to betray him. Perhaps the _hofkahsejun_ – the palace in Whiterun. Dragonsreach. It was originally built to house a captive dovah. A fine place to trap one of Alduin's allies, hmm?'

'The Jarl of Whiterun might not agree.'

'Speak with him. The people will listen to you, Lorien.'

Lorien nodded, struggling to her feet. 'I need to speak to everyone. It's been a long time since I checked in with them.'

Paarthurnax raised his head and shook his wings out. 'Tell me where you need to go.'


	39. Yelling on a Mountaintop

Flying on the back of a dragon – when you weren't either trying to kill that dragon, or suffering from a case of shattered ribs – was incredible.

You could see so _much_ , and all of it looked miniscule – like someone had built a small model of Skyrim, and that's what Lorien was flying over.

She couldn't help but smile as the wind whipped through her hair. 'You see this every day?' she said to Paarthurnax.

'I do,' he told Lorien. 'It is something most mortals could never dream of.'

'Thank you,' she murmured. After a little while, she spoke again. 'Paarthurnax – why are you so different to the other dragons?'

'I made myself so,' he told her. 'I betrayed Alduin in the Merethic Era, and taught _joorre_ to use the _Thu'um._ After this, I retired to the _Monahven_ , so that I would not succumb to the lust for power that all _dovah_ possess.' He paused for a moment. 'And all _dovahkiin_ , too.'

Lorien wasn't sure how to respond to this. She spotted Solitude below and pointed it out to Paarthurnax.

'Don't land too close,' she told him. 'We don't want to risk you getting attacked.'

Paarthurnax flew lower, and eventually landed on an empty plain, not far from Solitude. Lorien slid down from his back, crouching as she landed. She still had the _Kel_ , and shifted it in her grasp.

'You'd better go,' she told Paarthurnax when she had stood up. 'No one else can see you here.'

'You worry too much, _Dovahkiin_. I will be gone soon.'

'Thank you – for everything. I could never have fought Alduin without you.'

'You will have to soon enough. But I think by then you will be ready,' Paarthurnax told her.

Lorien nodded, smiling slightly. As Paarthurnax began to rise into the air again, she waved – although she wasn't sure if he could see her or not.

It wasn't a long walk to Solitude, and when Lorien arrived there she made her way to Castle Dour. As far as she knew, the Blades were still staying there with General Tullius. She really hoped that was still the case.

As she neared Solitude, Lorien's mind was still whirling slightly with everything that had happened. She'd read an Elder Scroll (and survived), had a vision of the past, fought Alduin and only just won, and ridden on the back of Paarthurnax. She still couldn't quite understand. If dragons had the capacity to be good, like Paarthurnax, why were all dragons other than him so determined to destroy human life? _All_ life? They seemed to attack everything they saw. They had to eat, Lorien reasoned, but still... were they all acting out of obedience to Alduin? Fear of him, even?

She was still thinking, her brow furrowed, when she reached the door to Castle Dour. The guards stood aside and she entered, almost bumping into Delphine as she did.

'Dragonborn!' Delphine exclaimed.

Lorien sighed. She'd given up on reminding people of her name. 'Hello, Delphine.'

'What happened to you? Your hair is—Well. You'll have to update us all. Come with me.'

As she followed Delphine, Lorien tried her best to tame her hair with her hands. It had undoubtedly been blown into a tangled mess when she was riding on Paarthurnax's back. She should have worn her hood.

Delphine led Lorien to the room full of maps again, where General Tullius was. He was surprised to see Delphine, and even more so to see Lorien.

'Is that... an Elder Scroll?' he asked.

Lorien raised an eyebrow, placing the scroll with a clunk onto the table. 'Good to see you too, General.'

Tullius shook his head a little, as if waking himself up. 'Of course – of course. How are you, Dragonborn?'

'A little tired, if I'm honest.' And she was, now that the adrenaline of the flight was wearing off.

'If you have the Scroll,' Delphine interjected, 'does that mean you're going to summon Alduin?'

'Uh... I already did that.'

' _What_?' Delphine was staring at Lorien with a mixture of anger and shock on her face. 'Is he coming _here_?'

'No,' Lorien said quickly. 'I already fought him, on the Throat of the World. Now I need to summon a different dragon – Odahviing – who can hopefully tell me where Alduin went—'

'Wait,' Tullius interrupted. 'You fought Alduin alone?'

'I... had the help of the Greybeard's leader. Paarthurnax.'

'And— Did you win?'

'I think so? But Alduin isn't dead. He... left.'

Delphine scoffed. 'He left.'

'Yes,' Lorien said indignantly. 'But like I said, I have a plan to—'

'To summon another dragon. Are you trying to get yourself killed, Dragonborn?'

Lorien glared. 'Look, I just came to assure you that I'm still alive. I can do this part on my own, so I don't really care if you approve or not.'

'Wait, Dragonborn,' Tullius said. 'Are you... alright? After fighting Alduin?'

Lorien nodded. 'I'm fine. It wasn't easy. I only won because I managed to partially blind him.' She hesitated. 'I felt... a little underprepared.'

Tullius nodded understandingly. 'You need further training.'

'We don't have time—'

'This is non-negotiable, Lorien. The choice is between sending you off to fight Alduin again, untrained and underprepared. You'll probably die.'

'Thanks.' Lorien paused. 'You're right, though.'

' _Or_ , we spend some time training you up before you go. No matter how long it takes. Lorien,' Tullius said, 'you're the only Dragonborn to exist in centuries. We have one chance to get this right, and for you to defeat Alduin. We can't waste it by sending you into battle unprepared.'

Slowly, Lorien nodded.

'Esbern has uncovered information on several dragon lairs,' Delphine said. 'We could go to them and fight the dragons there – to train you.'

Lorien considered this. 'That way, we'll be killing the dragons as well as training me.'

Tullius agreed, clearly relieved. 'This is the best thing to do, Dragonborn. Lorien.'

'Fine,' Lorien said. 'You're right. I do need more training. And as long as the truce holds, Alduin won't be constantly growing stronger. We have a little time.'

* * *

A little time turned into a year.

Lorien was nearly twenty-two. She felt far older. She hadn't seen Bryn or Rune for months – and the last time she had, it was for a brief time only. She didn't go to Riften unless there had been reports of dragon sightings there, and it was impossible for anyone to visit her because she was always on the move. Still, she wasn't unhappy – she was training, after all, and doing exactly what she was supposed to do. Killing dragons. Each soul she absorbed strengthened her, made her feel more powerful. Every dragon she fought taught her more about how to beat them. She practised Shouts when she could, and combat when Delphine was around to train with her. There were new recruits in Sky Haven Temple now, so Delphine's time was limited.

Lorien's reputation grew as well as her strength. She was recognised frequently – it took some getting used to. The strangest thing was the quiet that fell over a room when Lorien entered it. It never lasted long, but for the few seconds that people turned their heads to look at the door, sentences trailed off and she was met with silent stares.

'They're a little in awe of you,' Delphine shrugged when Lorien mentioned it. 'The last Dragonborn was loved by all – so much that he was practically worshipped. Some people think you are a reincarnation of him.'

'It feels more like they're afraid of me,' Lorien said.

'It may be both. You're incredibly powerful, Dragonborn, and only growing more so.'

Lorien also visited Paarthurnax, when she had a few days off. They sat and talked – about Alduin, yes, but also about other things.

'Do you think the other Greybeards will ever forgive me?' Lorien asked the dragon.

He thought about it. 'I believe they will. The Blades and the Greybeards don't have much in common, but they both admire the _Dovahkiin_. You are only doing what you must to defeat Alduin.'

'But the _Kel_ —'

'You began searching for the _Kel_ at my suggestion,' Paarthurnax reminded her. 'The Greybeards will not be angry about that for long.'

This was not the only question Lorien had. 'You told me once that my name was a _dov_ name,' she said. 'What did you mean?'

'It is interesting,' Paarthurnax told her after a moment. 'Did you not choose it for its Dovah meaning?'

'No. I didn't know the language then.'

'I see. Perhaps it was instinctive for you.'

'What does it mean?'

' _Dov_ names are made up of three Dovah words. Such as _paar_ , _thur_ and _nax_.' He looked at Lorien expectantly.

She sat up a little straighter. 'Um, _paar_ is ambition or desire. _Thur_ is... overlord. And _nax_...' She looked up at Paarthurnax.

'Cruelty,' he finished for her, sighing. 'This is the name I was given. Your name can be separated in a similar way. _Lo_ , _rii_ and _en_.'

'Deceive... soul... an act.'

'An act of deception regarding the soul. Or by the soul itself.'

Lorien looked at the ground. 'I don't understand.'

'You have the body of a _joor_ but the soul of a _dov_. Your existence is a deception – a _lo_ _rii en._ This is why I believed you had chosen the name deliberately.'

'It was the first thing I thought of. I didn't speak a word of Dovah then.'

'I wouldn't be surprised if all your kind held the _dovah_ tongue deep within their _hahdrimme_. This is, perhaps, how they learn the language so quickly.'

'So... I could have come up with the name subconsciously?'

'It is possible,' Paarthurnax told her. 'Have stranger things not happened to you?'

Lorien returned to the Throat of the World whenever she could – which wasn't that often. She and Paarthurnax talked, sometimes in Dovah. She spoke with him about almost everything – his experiences, in the thousands of years he'd been alive, and her own too. She told him about Bryn and Rune, and about her father, as well the strange circumstances in which he had left.

'He said it was for my own good,' Lorien sighed, pacing on the mountaintop. 'For my safety. He said he didn't want to leave—'

'Do you believe him?' Paarthurnax asked.

Lorien stopped, surprised. 'I... don't know. If he'd told me, in person, instead of just leaving a note... maybe it would be easier to believe.'

'You would not have let him leave.'

'Well—No, probably not! But he shouldn't have left! He's my _father_ – he was the only family I had, and he left me alone in that house.'

'Because he had taught you to fend for yourself.'

Lorien spun around to face Paarthurnax. 'Why are you on his side?'

'I am not, _Dovahkiin_. I'm only trying to understand as a _joor_.'

'He shouldn't have left,' Lorien repeated. 'I don't even know if he's still alive. What was so dangerous that he had to leave?'

Paarthurnax sighed, lowering his head to Lorien's level. 'I cannot answer these questions, Lorien.'

She laughed a little. 'I know. I'm just... angry. Still. It's been years.'

'You never had the chance to tell him how angry you were,' Paarthurnax reasoned. 'It remained within you.'

'I guess this is how I get it out. Sorry you had to hear my rant.'

Paarthurnax chuckled. It was an impossibly deep sound. 'I have heard and seen far worse, _Dovahkiin_. Do what you must. There is no better place than a mountaintop to express your _rahgot_.'

Lorien laughed properly. 'You think I should shout? Not—Not a Shout, but—'

'Tell your father how angry you are, and why.'

Lorien raised her eyebrows, then shrugged and stood up. She walked to the edge of the plateau on the mountaintop, and looked down. She supposed it was possible that her father was somewhere down there. She couldn't know.

'You left me,' she said quietly. 'Just like Mother did – but she didn't have a choice.' Lorien took a deep breath and raised her voice. 'I'd already lost one parent. You were all I had left – all I had in the world. We were strangers in Cyrodiil, but we were strangers together. You taught me to hunt and fight, but that doesn't mean you can just leave! I was sixteen! Did you expect me to stay in that house for the rest of my life, just waiting until you came back?' There were tears in her eyes. 'Did you go back, expecting to find me? Were you surprised that I left? Were you _angry_?' She wiped her face roughly. 'Because you have no right to be! You left first! You have no right to be angry about any of the things I've done since then, because I never would've come here if you hadn't left me! What was I supposed to do? _You didn't tell me what I was supposed to do_!' Lorien's voice broke. 'No one did. I've worked it all out on my own, and you have no right to be angry about it, because you weren't here to tell me otherwise!'

There was silence for a few seconds, broken only by the sound of Lorien's breathing. Then, 'You think your father is angry with _you_.'

Lorien turned to look at Paarthurnax. 'I don't know. I've done a lot of things he would never have expected me to. Half of the time, I don't know how I feel about it. I have no idea what he would think.' She shrugged. 'I wish I knew.'

'It does not matter anymore, Lorien. He isn't here.'

She smiled sadly, wiping her face. 'He isn't here. Whatever was dangerous...' she sighed. 'He's dead, isn't he?'

Paarthurnax paused. 'I cannot answer that.'

Lorien nodded even so. 'I don't feel any hope for him anymore. I think... I think he's probably gone.'

* * *

Lorien continued training with the Blades until Delphine proposed hunting another dragon. She gave Lorien the map and began packing her things.

Lorien examined it, frowning as she did so. 'This—Is that Whiterun?'

Delphine glanced over absentmindedly. 'Yes, of course.'

'Then that mountain is...' Lorien glanced up, but Delphine didn't say anything. 'That's the Throat of the World, isn't it? Delphine, there are no dragons on that mountain. It's where the Greybeards are.'

'And their leader,' Delphine said, shoving a dagger into her knapsack. 'Paarthurnax.'

Lorien stared at her. 'You know,' she said after a few seconds.

'I know he's a dragon, yes. That's why we're going to the Throat of the World. Come on, Lorien – get ready.'

Lorien did not. She hurried after Delphine instead. 'Delphine—You don't understand. We can't kill Paarthurnax. He's done so much to help me get to Alduin.'

'Why do you think I waited this long?' Delphine scoffed.

'He doesn't deserve to be killed like any other dragon! He's not like them. He overcame his own nature—'

'He's a dragon, Lorien,' Delphine interrupted, turning on the spot. Lorien nearly ran into her. 'Are you forgetting your job? He needs to die. He deserves to die.'

'No!' Lorien insisted. 'You don't know him! He's working against Alduin! How can you say that he isn't different?'

Delphine glared at Lorien for a moment, then sighed. 'Listen to me, Dragonborn. What with training you in every minute of spare time I get, I do not have time for this. If you won't help us kill Paarthurnax, fine. We'll do it ourselves. But if you stay here, do not expect any further help from us. It would dishonour our name as Blades.'

'Aren't you dishonouring it now?' Lorien said. 'I'm the Dragonborn – you're supposed to trust and protect me, right? So listen to me! That's _your_ job!'

She was cut off when Delphine slapped her with the back of her hand. Lorien drew back, shocked, and clutched her face.

Delphine was seething. 'You have _no idea_ what the Blades exist for – what we represent. We do not live to serve you, Dragonborn, no matter how powerful you are. Now I ask you once more: will you help us kill Paarthurnax, or will you get out of my way?'

Lorien glared at Delphine for a moment longer, then ran away from her and back into her room. She grabbed her satchel and started stuffing her possessions into it. Some things would have to be left behind, but Lorien made sure to grab her weapons. The _Kel_ was still with General Tullius... Well, she'd have to trust him with it a little longer. Lorien grabbed her cloak from a wardrobe and wrapped it around her.

When she had everything she could grab, she ran back the way she'd came and out of Sky Haven Temple. Delphine was there, talking to the recruits. Lorien thought she called 'Dragonborn', but didn't stop running. It had begun raining – hard – and the stones were slippery, but it didn't slow Lorien down. She kept moving until she was out on an open plain – where Delphine couldn't see her.

She needed to be fast. Lorien turned her face up to the rain. She cupped her hands around her mouth and hoped to Oblivion that this would work.

' _PAAR_ _THUR_ _NAX_!' she yelled.

For a minute, there was nothing. Lorien stood in the rain, breathing heavily and staring into the grey sky. She swore under her breath. They needed to be faster than this, or Delphine could—

 _There_. A shape, darker than the sky, moving towards Lorien. Paarthurnax. He dipped under the clouds and Lorien yelled and waved wildly. She didn't need to – Paarthurnax had already spotted her. He began the descent, just as Lorien caught sight of Delphine and the Blades coming towards her on the horizon.

She swore again. This might have been an awful idea.

'HURRY!' she screamed in Paarthurnax's general direction. He landed near her, and Lorien sprinted towards him. 'We need to go!' she yelled as she drew closer. 'Neither of us are safe here!'

Paarthurnax lowered his head, and Lorien pulled herself onto his back. The Blades were getting nearer.

'They wish to hurt you?' Paarthurnax said.

'No – not really, but they want to _kill_ you. It doesn't matter, Paarthurnax, let's just go!'

'We could defeat them, _Dovahkiin_.'

'No!' Lorien said urgently. 'I don't want to kill them! I just want to leave! You need to _move_ , or they're going to hurt us both!'

Finally, Lorien felt Paarthurnax's wings moving and he began to rise into the sky. An arrow flew past him and Lorien cried out.

'Faster!' she urged.

Paarthurnax seemed to listen, and Lorien held on tighter as he flew almost straight upwards. It was still raining, and his scales were more slippery than usual. Lorien pressed her face against them and squeezed her eyes shut.

'You are safe, _Dovahkiin_ ,' Paarthurnax assured her.

'I'm not worried about me,' Lorien mumbled.

They flew relentlessly through the rain, and Lorien kept her eyes closed most of the way. She was freezing cold, but there was nothing to be done until they reached somewhere safe.

Where was that, anyway? The Blades knew about Paarthurnax, and knew where he was. They'd come after him. Lorien couldn't stop all of them... Perhaps Paarthurnax could, but they didn't deserve to die. The recruits just saw a dragon and followed Delphine's orders. They weren't to blame.

In the end, Paarthurnax chose where to land. It was the same place he'd been for thousands of years. Lorien mumbled 'no' as they drew closer, but he didn't hear her.

When he was on the ground, Lorien slid off his back and fell on her knees. She felt exhausted. Her arms were aching from holding onto Paarthurnax so tightly, and she couldn't stop shivering. Her teeth clacked together and she wrapped her sore arms around her body.

Paarthurnax drew back and looked at her for a moment. Then he lifted his head to the sky.

' _Sadonvum_!' he called. The sound echoed impossibly far. When it had quieted, he looked to Lorien again.

'You need shelter,' he told her. 'Come to the Wall.'

Lorien nodded and got to her feet. The rain was sleet on the mountaintop, and she struggled to walk through it to the Wall. Both she and Paarthurnax made it eventually, though, and Lorien sat down again, leaning against the inside of the Wall. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

Paarthurnax lowered his body to the ground, and lay across the open section of the wall, shielding Lorien from the wind. She tried to smile at him gratefully.

'Why did you leave the Blades?' Paarthurnax asked her. 'You were safe there.'

'They want you dead,' Lorien told him. 'I didn't know what to do. I knew calling you might just put you in more danger, but I didn't know how else to get to you quickly enough.'

'You did well, Lorien. It was clever of you to use my name to call me.'

Lorien managed a smile, then sighed. 'The Blades won't help me anymore. I've managed to lose the loyalty of them and the Greybeards – all the people who know the most about the dragons.'

Paarthurnax chuckled. 'I believe the Greybeards will take a liking to you when they find out how boldly you have defied the Blades.'

'I wasn't going to let them kill you,' Lorien said.

'I am grateful to you, _Dovahkiin_. It seems I am in your debt.'

Lorien almost laughed. 'You saved my life once already. Don't worry about it.'

'I have called the Greybeards,' Paarthurnax told her. 'When it is safe enough – when this _strun_ passes – they will come here and take you to High Hrothgar.'

'No,' Lorien said, sitting up straighter. 'Paarthurnax – if I'm not here, you have to leave. The Blades know where you are – it was on a map. You need to go somewhere else or they'll find you! They can be here within a day!'

' _Dreh ni kos fas_ , Lorien. I will be fine. You have kept me safe – now I return the favour.'

'You're not safe!' Lorien insisted. 'There are more of them than there were before, and every one of them hates dragons. They won't listen to you – they only want to kill you!'

'Do you not think others have tried?'

'But I don't want them all to die either. I can persuade them to leave – I'm the Dragonborn, that has to count for something!'

'Lorien,' Paarthurnax said. 'We will worry about this later. For now, you must stay warm.' Lorien pulled her cloak tighter around her. She shifted her cowl over her mouth and nose too. Paarthurnax nodded approvingly. 'Lean on me,' he told her.

Lorien shuffled closer to the dragon, and leant against his side. Paarthurnax positioned his wing so that it sheltered Lorien, and that was how they stayed until the storm let up.


	40. Delphine Haters, We Ride at Dawn

It was Arngeir that eventually came to the Throat of the World. He knelt before Paarthurnax when he saw him, then caught sight of Lorien.

'Dragonborn,' he said.

She got to her feet and bowed her head slightly. 'Master Arngeir.'

'Why are you here?' Arngeir asked.

'I'm sorry,' Lorien said. 'I'm so sorry. The Blades—You were right.'

Arngeir looked at her for a moment, then turned to Paarthurnax. 'Master Paarthurnax. Do you know what has happened?'

'Lorien left the Blades,' Paarthurnax said. 'She summoned me in an effort to escape them, and I brought her here.'

'Escape them?' Arngeir repeated.

Lorien nodded. 'It was Paarthurnax. They asked me to help them kill him. I told them I wouldn't, and... Delphine was angry. She told me the Blades won't help me defeat Alduin anymore, but... I couldn't let them kill Paarthurnax.'

'You left the Blades to... protect Paarthurnax?'

'Master Arngeir – they might still come here. They know about him. We have to do something—'

'The only way to Paarthurnax is through High Hrothgar. We will not let this happen.'

Lorien hesitated, then nodded.

' _Dovahkiin_ ,' Paarthurnax said from behind her. 'You must stay warm. Go with Master Arngeir.'

After a moment, Lorien agreed and followed Arngeir back towards the path down the mountain. She looked back at Paarthurnax before they turned the corner and waved. Paarthurnax bowed his head.

'When were the Blades planning to leave?' Arngeir asked as they began the descent.

'Very soon,' Lorien told him. 'Delphine was getting ready to leave when I...' She gestured vaguely.

Arngeir nodded. 'How far away are they?'

'Their base is about a day's walk from here, but they might take a carriage part of the way.'

'Do you know how many of them there are?'

'Not that many,' Lorien said. 'Ten at the most. Almost all of them are new recruits, but they despise dragons and always listen to Delphine.'

'They will not make it past us, Lorien.'

'I know,' she sighed. 'But what if they find another way?'

'There is no other way. We have made sure of this. Harbouring a dragon has always been dangerous – we are prepared.'

Lorien nodded. They made it to High Hrothgar, and Arngeir left to speak with the rest of the Greybeards regarding the threat to Paarthurnax. Lorien made her way to her old room, pausing at the doorframe. She hadn't stayed here since she was eighteen years old. There were still a few clothes that she'd left behind.

She sighed. Everything would have been easier if she had stayed here, that was for sure. But then Etienne would have been killed by the Thalmor, and the civil war would still be raging. She'd never have found the Elder Scroll – or done anything else to bring about Alduin's destruction. Bad things had definitely happened since Lorien left High Hrothgar the first time... but good had happened too.

And now? Lorien wasn't sure what would happen now.

She went into her room and shed her damp cloak. It was very difficult to make herself unbuckle her armour instead of just climbing straight into bed, but she managed it eventually and took some dry clothes from the wardrobe instead. When she was dressed, she sat on her bed and wrapped the furs around her. Her hair was a little damp – she'd remembered to wear her hood, but it had inevitably blown off of her head a few times.

It was getting long again. Lorien tugged on the ends of it. She'd hardly had time to think about her hair recently.

' _Dovahkiin_ ,' a voice said at the doorway. Lorien turned to look – it was Master Einarth. ' _Kogaan_ ,' he said. Lorien thought she felt a tremor run through the room.

She was so surprised that she didn't say anything in reply as Einarth left the doorway.

* * *

The Blades didn't come the next day. But they did on the day after that.

Lorien spotted them from a window, making their way up the Seven Thousand Steps. She jumped to her feet and ran to the doors, shouting for Master Arngeir as she did so.

'So they are coming,' he said as he joined her in the central rom of High Hrothgar.

'I don't understand,' Lorien said, shaking her head. 'Surely they know it's futile? They've lost the element of surprise, and they can't get to Paarthurnax.'

'Perhaps they wish to find another way there. Or perhaps they are well aware that this is the only way.'

Lorien looked at Arngeir. 'They wouldn't... attack you?'

Arngeir didn't answer. He simply followed Lorien when she opened the doors and descended the steps to stand in front of High Hrothgar. When she looked behind her, she saw the other Greybeards were following too.

The Blades were just reaching the final flight of stairs, but stopped when they spotted Lorien on the steps.

'I wouldn't come any closer if I were you,' Lorien called down to them.

Delphine took a defiant step forwards, onto the first step. 'I should have known you'd run back to the Greybeards. You can't stop all of us, Lorien.' She gestured with her hand, and the other Blades began moving up the steps too.

'You're right,' Lorien said. 'I can't stop all of you. But the Greybeards can. One word from their lips could tear you apart, Delphine – and each of your new recruits, too. It was foolish to come here.'

Delphine laughed scornfully. 'You're unbelievable, Lorien. You've abandoned the Blades, sacrificed our invaluable aid, and now you're threatening us – for the sake of a dragon, the thing it is your destiny to destroy!'

'I don't expect you to understand, Delphine. You're nothing if not narrow-minded.'

'You are the person sacrificing everything for one creature!'

'Everything?' Lorien repeated. 'No. I'm just sacrificing you.'

Delphine took another step forwards, and Master Einarth spoke. ' _Daar golt los ni fah hi_.'

As he said the words, the ground beneath Lorien's feet began to tremble. She could see that the Blades were feeling it too. They were looking down, their arms outstretched to maintain balance.

Lorien smiled.

' _Hi fen kos gut nol fin Dovahkiin_ ,' Master Wulfgar said. There was a rumbling sound from Lorien's right, and she glanced over to see rocks breaking away from the edge of the mountain. She looked back at the Blades with a smile still on her face.

' _Hi lost nid vazah kost het_ ,' Master Borri said, and everyone gasped as a massive crack appeared in the centre of the steps the Blades were on, splitting the stairway in two. A few screams were actually produced by the Blades.

Lorien laughed. ' _Los hi faas nu_?' she shouted to them. ' _Los hi faas zu'u_? _Hi fod ni lost bo het_!'

'Delphine,' one of the Blades said. 'We should go. We can't get past them.'

Delphine stared at the Greybeards for a few seconds, then shook her head. 'They're pacifists. They won't hurt anyone.' She started walking up the steps again.

And she was right, Lorien realised. She was right The Greybeards wouldn't want to hurt her.

Fine.

Lorien stepped in front of the Greybeards and Shouted. ' _Fus ro da_!'

Delphine was thrown backwards and crashed against the steps, continuing to tumble down them. Lorien watched until she stopped moving.

'I may have left the Blades, but I'm not a Greybeard,' she called. 'I won't hesitate to hurt you, Delphine. Leave while you still can.'

Delphine stood, glaring. Then she turned and began walking away.

Lorien watched as the rest of the Blades began to follow her down the mountain. She let out a deep sigh of relief and turned to Arngeir. He was frowning.

'I'm sorry,' she said quickly. 'I know you're disappointed. I used the Thu'um for violence. I threatened Delphine.' Arngeir said nothing, so Lorien continued. 'I know it's not what you want me to do. But it was necessary to protect you, and Paarthurnax.'

'I know, Lorien,' Arngeir sighed. 'I know. I've come to realise that we can either keep you free from violence, or keep you safe. There is no pacifist path within your destiny.'

Lorien nodded.

'To repay you for what you have done, you may stay here safely. We will help you in any way we can.'

'Thank you, Master Arngeir. But I won't be staying long. I think it's about time I took the fight to Alduin.'

Arngeir raised his eyebrows slightly. 'Are you ready?'

'I think so,' Lorien said. 'A year of training with the Blades, hunting down dragons... I feel a lot stronger after that. It wasn't wasted time,' she added, a little defensively.

'I didn't say it was, Dragonborn.'

'I know. But some have. We only have one shot, though – if I go to Alduin before I'm ready, it could doom everyone. I can't take that risk.'

'But you feel ready now.'

Lorien considered it, then smiled. 'Yes.'

* * *

As Lorien began the journey back down the Seven Thousand Steps (after saying goodbye to Paarthurnax, of course) Arngeir watched her go from a window. He frowned a little. Lorien had threatened the Blades with violence to protect High Hrothgar – he knew that. But some of the things she'd said worried him a little.

 _Los hi faas nu_? She'd been smiling – laughing. Taking pleasure in her power. _Los hi faas zu'u_?

_Are you afraid yet? Are you afraid of me?_


	41. Well, This is Awkward

It was lucky Jarl Balgruuf liked Lorien, she noted as she spoke with him. Otherwise she would have no chance of convincing him to lure a dragon to his castle. Then again, his willingness probably also had something to do with the fact that it would aid the destruction of Alduin.

Either way, he agreed. Lorien was glad, of course, but also well aware that if her plan worked, she might never return to Whiterun after summoning Odahviing.

'When should we be ready?' Jarl Balgruuf asked her.

Lorien snapped out of her thoughts. 'Um... in three days' time,' she replied. She wanted to go to Riften. It was selfish of her, she knew – but she had to say goodbye.

* * *

Bryn and Rune weren't expecting Lorien to visit Riften, so when she arrived they were both out stealing something or other. Niruin assured Lorien that he would tell them she was visiting, and to look for her at the inn.

'If I'm not there, then the docks,' Lorien said before she left.

She did remain at the inn for a while, but became restless. What if neither Bryn nor Rune got back in time, and she had to leave again? She'd only allowed herself one day in Riften, with the other two spent travelling to and from. If her friends didn't appear, those three days would have been wasted. And it wasn't as if Lorien had all the time in the world. People were already beginning to wonder what had become of the Dragonborn's promises to hunt Alduin down. Luckily, Tullius had assuaged most doubts with talk of training and preparation. That would not last forever. Lorien knew the time had come to face Alduin again – and yet thinking about it still made her insides twist.

Sighing, she stood up from her rented bed and paced the room for a minute. She shouldn't even be here. She should have written a farewell letter for Bryn and Rune – that would have been the sensible thing. Taking a carriage to Riften in the hope that they might be around wasn't sensible at all.

Still, Lorien waited for the knock on the door. And eventually it came.

When Lorien opened it to find Bryn, she couldn't contain her relief. She laughed breathlessly, pulling Bryn into a hug before he could say anything.

'I was beginning to think you wouldn't come,' she mumbled before releasing him.

Bryn raised an eyebrow. 'You have so little faith in me, lass.'

Lorien grinned widely, standing back from the door so Bryn could come in. Her stomach still felt full of nerves, but she was happier now that Bryn was here.

He sat down on the side of the bed, and Lorien arranged her pillow so she could lean against the headboard. For a few seconds, she just smiled at Bryn. Then she sighed.

'It's been so long,' she said. 'How are you?'

'Not bad. Karliah's been keeping me in check.' Bryn shuffled back so that he could lean against the wall.

'I knew she would.' Lorien smiled. But something felt a little off. 'Any big jobs recently?'

'Uh, nothing in particular.'

 _Definitely_ something off. Lorien realised with a start that this was the first time she'd been alone with Bryn in ages. In fact, the last time was after he'd rescued her from the Thalmor Embassy. The time before that had been after killing Mercer, when they'd—well.

'Bryn?' Lorien said.

He looked at her properly then.

Lorien smiled and moved to sit beside him. 'I've really missed you,' she said quietly, avoiding his eyes. 'I'm sorry I haven't come to visit—'

'I've missed you too,' Bryn said. Lorien looked at him, and his face had relaxed. 'A lot.'

And then they were just looking at each other, and Lorien realised that she _still_ felt nervous. Then she realised that part of her was tempted to lean over and kiss Bryn right now. Then—

'So why did you finally come to see us?' Bryn asked.

Lorien blinked. 'Uh. I'm summoning Odahviing soon.'

'Ah.'

'Yeah. Which means...'

'Alduin.'

Lorien nodded. 'I'm about as ready as I can be, Bryn.'

'I know. I'm not worried, lass.'

'You sure?' Lorien smiled. 'I remember how much you worry.'

'Well, last time I tried to stop you from risking your life, it didn't work.'

'When I killed Mercer?'

'Aye.'

'So really, it worked out quite well in the end. Mercer died, I was right, you were wrong—'

Bryn laughed. 'Would have been perfect if you hadn't run off to fight dragons afterwards.'

Lorien wasn't sure how to reply to that. For a moment, she let herself imagine what would have happened if she had stayed. She and Bryn would've been together, presumably. They would have told Rune, and he would've complained in mock despair. Probably protested every time Bryn so much as put his arm around Lorien. Bryn would have laughed and grabbed Rune too, so he wasn't left out – that would stop Rune from complaining for a while. They'd all stay in the Guild together, competing every day for the best steal. Karliah would lead them, and one day Bryn would probably take over. Rune would be his second, and Lorien would make sure there was a celebration for them both. She imagined it – then imagined the party stopping in its tracks because of a dragon sighting. Something everyone is used to by that time, because no one ever found out how to kill the dragons. Guards, already resigned to their fate, would leave Riften to fight something that cannot die. Lorien would only be able to watch, well aware that she could've put an end to this but chose not to.

'Lorien?'

She blinked and shook her head. 'Sorry. Lost in thought.'

Bryn nodded understandingly. 'About what?'

'What would've happened if I hadn't... run off to fight dragons.' She looked at Bryn.

He looked back, and it felt as though he were trying to say something without words. 'Lorien—'

Another knock on the door. Lorien jumped, then quickly got to her feet and opened it. It was Rune, of course.

He grinned at her. 'Hello, stranger.'

'Rune,' Lorien said, hugging him as she had Bryn. 'We were waiting for you. Do you want to go to the docks?'

* * *

The docks were safer. No privacy or confined space, no _bed_. No awkwardness. Bryn seemed to relax when they got there, which made Lorien feel more comfortable too. Soon enough, she was talking animatedly with her friends and almost forgetting the danger that lay ahead. Almost.

Eventually, Rune sighed happily and uncrossed his legs, stretching them out in front of him so he could lean back on his elbows. 'It's nice to come back here.'

Lorien frowned. 'Don't you come here a lot?'

'Sometimes.'

Bryn shrugged. 'But it's not so much about the place, is it?'

There was quiet for a minute. Then Rune turned to look at Lorien. 'You're here to say goodbye, aren't you?'

Lorien hesitated, then nodded. 'I might come back. But still.'

'You might not.'

'I might not.' There was no point in denying it.

'We should have drinks,' Bryn said. Rune laughed, nodding enthusiastically.

Lorien jumped to her feet. 'I'll get some. One ale and one mead, right?'

'Right,' Rune said. 'I don't have any gold on me—'

'Don't worry.' Lorien waved him away. 'The least I can do is buy you a drink.' She hurried off before there could be any further protests.

The inn wasn't busy, so Lorien had no trouble in getting the attention of Talen-Jei.

'The usual for you?' he asked her. 'On the house, as always.'

"As always" meant "since I found out you're the Dragonborn". Lorien nodded. 'One ale and a Black-Briar Mead too, please. Not all for me,' she added hurriedly.

'Got something to celebrate?' Talen asked as he fetched the drinks.

'Something like that,' Lorien said with a small smile. She took her drink – a White-Gold Tower – in one hand, and looped her other through the handles of the remaining two tankards. She hoped that Bryn and Rune would be able to tell the difference between them, because she certainly couldn't.

Lorien thanked Talen-Jei and left, walking slowly so as not to spill anything. She kept her eyes on the tankards until she was almost at the docks. Then she looked up.

Bryn and Rune were where she'd left them – Bryn sat down, leaning on the nearest post, and Rune resting on his elbows. As Lorien watched them, he shifted into a sitting position. The two of them were talking – about what, Lorien had no idea. She couldn't hear a thing. But it was enough to watch. Her two best friends, one of whom she was half in love with, both of them lit by the glow of the setting sun. A familiar lake and a jetty on which they'd always sat.

Lorien felt her nose start to sting, and knew tears weren't far away. She made to turn around, but Bryn caught sight of her and called her over. Both of them were smiling at her, Rune rubbing his hands in anticipation of his drink—

With the drinks still in her hands, Lorien began to cry.

She looked down and screwed her eyes shut, but still heard the footsteps on the boards. Felt the arm around her as she was led back to the end of the jetty. Someone took the drinks from her hands. Lorien opened her eyes slightly, only to find her vision blurred by tears she'd refused to let fall. She allowed herself to be sat down on the boards. Eventually, she looked up to find Bryn and Rune sat on either side of her. Bryn had one hand on her knee, and was holding his ale in the other. Rune passed Lorien her drink, and she took a sip.

'It's not too late to stay,' Rune said. 'We can hide you. We did it with Esbern.'

Lorien shook her head. 'I can't hide from this. Besides, you'd be dooming Skyrim. And everywhere else.'

'Are you going alone?' Bryn asked.

'Yes.'

Silence for a few seconds. 'You've beaten Alduin once before, lass. And that was a long time ago. With your training...'

'There's a chance,' Lorien admitted. 'But there's also a very real chance of Alduin winning.' She wiped her eyes. 'I'm not even scared about not coming back. I'd gladly give my life if it guaranteed Alduin's death. I'm scared because if I fail, _all of this_ is destroyed. You two. The rest of the Guild. All of Skyrim. Gods, all of Nirn. I can't even comprehend it. All I can understand is that I absolutely and completely have to win. There couldn't be more at stake. Yet I may well lose. And I just have to accept that risk, because there's nothing I can do about it – there's no secret to killing Alduin. I just have to give everything I can.'

Rune leaned forwards to look at Lorien. 'Lori, you've killed countless dragons in the last year. No one could be better prepared for this than you are.'

Lorien let out a small laugh. 'I still feel like I'm sixteen sometimes.'

'You've come a long, long way since then.'

'He's right,' Bryn said. 'I remember when you were seventeen. You thought I was constantly criticising you.'

'Because you probably were,' Rune interjected.

Bryn nodded, taking a gulp of his drink. 'Well, it's not my fault that her skills were so lacking.'

'What Bryn is _trying_ to say is that he's proud of how much you've improved.'

Lorien laughed a little. 'Bryn, proud of me? I'll believe that when I see it.'

'And I'll believe your stories about dragon-riding when I see _that_ ,' Bryn countered.

Rune suddenly sat up straighter. 'We should come with you!'

Lorien frowned. 'What?'

'To Whiterun,' Rune elaborated. 'Then we can say goodbye properly. And maybe see the dragon?'

Bryn laughed and leaned towards Lorien. 'Rune's very keen to see one.'

'But you have before – when it was trying to kill you,' Lorien reminded Rune.

He nodded. 'I know, but I imagine it's different when they're _not_ trying to kill you.'

'It is,' Lorien said, thinking of Paarthurnax. 'But Odahviing probably will try. Before he's captured, I mean.'

'We can stay out of the way,' Bryn shrugged. 'Until you've caught it. Then Rune can stare as much as he likes.'

Rune nodded. 'I'd like to see you in action again, too.'

Lorien rolled her eyes. 'I'm not going to be fighting this one, remember?'

'Even so.' Rune waved a hand. 'We're coming with you. Right?'

Bryn smiled. 'Why not? Sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime event. Wouldn't want to miss it.'

Lorien held up her hands. 'Fine! If you want to come all the way to Whiterun, that's fine. On one condition – you stay _very much_ out of the way until I say it's safe.'

'Of course,' Rune said quickly. 'Who are we to disobey the Dragonborn when it comes to catching dragons?'

* * *

Far too soon the morning after next, Lorien found herself stood on the balcony of Dragonsreach. Bryn and Rune were with her, looking out at the view and talking.

'We should visit Whiterun more often,' Rune was saying. 'Those market stalls were better stocked than any I've seen.'

'True,' Bryn said. 'But everything's cheaper in Riften.'

'Because most of it's stolen. I would assume,' Lorien added, noticing Jarl Balgruuf stood nearby.

'You're not wrong there, lass. Still, stolen food tastes just the same as the rest. I imagine.' Bryn gave Lorien a sideways glance, and she rolled her eyes at him.

Jarl Balgruuf approached them, and Lorien gave the thieves a look which clearly said _shut up_. She turned to the Jarl, managing a smile.

'Are you ready, Lorien?' he asked.

She nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak anymore.

Rune patted her on the back. 'You've fought dragons before, Lori. This one's no different.'

 _He's just the most powerful of all time,_ Lorien added in her head. Still, she smiled at Rune as he walked past her. She appreciated him trying.

'See you soon,' Bryn said simply. They both retreated, just as Lorien had told them to.

'Alright,' she said to Balgruuf. 'I'm ready.'

He nodded, perhaps knowing that she never truly would be.

Several other guards were also on the balcony, as well as Balgruuf and his housecarl Irileth. Lorien was sure that with their combined forces they would have been able to kill Odahviing. But he was not the dragon she needed to fight.

Lorien took a deep breath, then spread her arms wide and shouted into the sky. ' _OD AH VIING_!'

For about half a minute, nothing happened. The guards relaxed a little, squinting up into the empty sky. And then, a roaring – a dark shadow against the mountains...

Odahviing swooped down over the balcony, grabbing one of the guards in his claws. Lorien watched in horror as the guard was flung to the ground below like a child's doll.

There was shouting all around her as the other guards drew their weapons. Instinctively, Lorien drew her own bow, but it was her voice that she needed to use.

Odahviing drew level with the balcony, the beating of his wings sending Lorien staggering slightly. ' _Dovahkiin_!' he boomed. 'I have come.'

She stared straight at him, feeling the Shout surge through her. ' _JOOR ZAH FRUL_!'

The whirling blue light that emanated from Lorien enveloped Odahviing. He roared and tried to fly upwards, but the weight of the Dragonrend shout was too much, even for him. He crashed to the stone floor, breathing fire in short bursts towards Lorien. She moved backwards, luring him further inwards. He followed her. Cracks formed in the stone beneath him with each step he took.

Then the giant wooden bar came down, forcing Odahviing to a halt as it landed on his neck. He roared in indignation and fury, trying to retreat but failing. He turned to look at Lorien.

' _Zu'u bonaar_ ,' he told her. 'You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this... humiliating position. _Hind siiv Alduin_ , hmm? No doubt you want to know where to find Alduin?'

'No doubt you know exactly where he's hiding.'

' _Rinik Vazah. Alduin bovul_. One reason I came to your call was to test your _Thu'um_ for myself. Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his _Thu'um_ is truly the strongest—amongst ourselves, of course. _Mu ni meyye_. None were yet ready to openly defy him.'

'Where is he now?'

' _Unslaad krosis_. I digress. He travelled to Sovngarde to regain his strength, devouring the _sillesejoor_.' Lorien grimaced, and Odahviing nodded. 'It is a privilege he jealously guards. His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains.'

'How do I get to Sovngarde – to Alduin? Can I use that door?'

' _Dovahkiin_ _– mindoraan, pah ok middovahhe lahvraan til_. I surely do not need to warn you that all his remaining strength is marshalled there? _Zu'u lost ofan hin laan_... If you know this already, allow me to go free.'

Lorien crossed her arms. 'Not yet. I think you can still help me, Odahviing. We can help each other.'

'Hmm. _Krosis_. There is one detail about Skuldafn I neglected to mention. You have the _Thu'um_ of a _dovah_ , but without the wings of one, you will never set foot in Skuldafn. Of course, I could fly you there – but not while imprisoned like this.'

Lorien nodded. She knew that Paarthurnax could probably fly her to Skuldafn – but Odahviing had helped her, and he knew the way. Besides, she didn't want to keep him trapped here. It made sense to accept his offer.

'I will set you free, Odahviing. If you take me to Skuldafn.'

Odahviing nodded slowly. ' _Onikaan koraav gein miraad_. It is wise to recognise when you have only one choice. And you can trust me – _zu'u ni tahrodiis_. Alduin has proven himself unworthy to rule. I go my own way now. Free me, and I will carry you to Skuldafn.'

' _Nii los dreh_ ,' Lorien said.

She turned around to find Bryn and Rune watching her from the nearest pillar. Rune's eyes flicked between the dragon and Lorien, seemingly in awe of both.

'I didn't know you could speak their language,' he said when Lorien approached them.

Lorien nodded. ' _Nii los vahzah_.'

'Didn't you promise to write me a whole letter in Dovah, lass?' Bryn asked.

'I did!' Lorien said, her eyes widening. 'If I make it back, I'll write you a whole book.'

She'd meant it as a joke, but suddenly both Bryn and Rune were avoiding her eyes. Lorien sighed.

'Come on, Rune – you're the one who wanted to see the dragon,' she said. 'You can probably even speak to him.'

Rune looked up when he heard that, and followed Lorien to Odahviing's head. The dragon looked up lazily.

'Odahviing,' Lorien said. 'You'll be free soon, don't worry. This is Rune – he has some questions, I think. Hurt him, and I swear on my life you will never see freedom again. I have other ways of getting to Skuldafn, believe me.'

'And I thought we were getting on so well,' Odahviing grumbled.

'We will. Providing you don't hurt anyone.'

'I have no intention of doing so, _Dovahkiin_. You need not be afraid. What questions does the boy have?'

Lorien left Rune with the dragon, and returned to Bryn's side. He smiled as he approached, but Lorien could tell he was forcing himself to. She returned the gesture anyway.

'This is it,' she said. 'Goodbye – for real this time.'

Bryn nodded. 'It doesn't seem fair that you have to go alone. You wouldn't let me go after Mercer alone.'

'This is a little different,' Lorien shrugged. 'A lot is different now. But when this is over – it's all over. I can...' Lorien spread her arms out, gesturing around her. 'I don't know. Do something other than dragon-hunting.'

'What would you do?'

Lorien thought it over for a few seconds. 'I have no idea. I've done nothing else for such a long time.'

'You'll come back, lass,' Bryn said. 'And then we can figure it out. We'll have all the time we need.'

Lorien nodded. She tried her best to smile, but found she was fighting a losing battle. Bryn hugged her before she could lose.

'Goodbye,' Lorien murmured. 'Thank you for everything you did for me.'

'I'm proud of you,' Bryn said quietly. He released Lorien, and she stumbled backwards, fixing the smile on her face again. 'You've come a long way since that first meeting.'

Lorien nodded. Before she could say anything else, Rune was hugging her.

'Good luck,' he said. 'Don't die.'

'I'll try not to,' Lorien assured him. 'Don't miss me too much.'

'Me?' Rune laughed. 'Please. I won't even notice you're gone.'

Bryn rolled his eyes. 'Who was it who begged to go to Whiterun so we could say goodbye to Lorien properly?'

'I wanted to see the dragon!' Rune corrected him. 'And now I have, so we really should be going.'

Lorien laughed despite her writhing stomach and the doubts that were beginning to close in on her. 'So should I. Here.' She handed each of them a letter. 'Just in case. They're not in Dovah – sorry.'

Rune pocketed the letter and gave Lorien one last hug before patting her on the back. 'You have everything you need?'

Lorien nodded, patting her satchel. It was mostly full of healing potions, with some food to keep her going too. She was armed with her bow, plus a dagger on each hip and a third in her boot – as always. Her hair was freshly cut short, to keep it out of her face. She was ready... or so she kept saying.

'Goodbye,' she said to Bryn and Rune. Then she turned away before anything could stop her.

_You just have to keep moving – don't stop to think about it. Up the steps to the walkway that overlooks the balcony. Find a guard. Tell him to release Odahviing._

'Are you sure about that?' the guard frowned. 'You want to let that dragon loose after all the trouble to catch him?'

 _You're sure._ 'I'm sure.'

'Your funeral,' the guard shrugged. He moved towards the trap's mechanisms as Lorien descended to stand near Odahviing again.

'This seems like a really bad idea to me!' the guard called.

'Carry on, soldier,' Balgruuf responded. 'This is all part of Lorien's plan.'

The trap shuddered open, rising to the ceiling once more. Odahviing stood.

'By all the gods,' a voice said – Irileth's. Her hand went to her sword automatically.

Odahviing spoke. ' _Faas nu, zini dein ruthi ahst vaal_.' He turned, facing out from the balcony. Lorien held her breath, half expecting him to take off. He didn't. She approached him once more, and he looked down at her. ' _Saraan uth_ ,' he said. 'I await your command, as promised. Are you ready to see the world as only a dovah can?'

Lorien glanced back one last time at the people she was leaving behind. She wished there was some way to express to her friends how much she loved them, but there was no way to put it into words that she knew.

_Keep going. You're ready._

'I'm ready. Take me to Skuldafn.'

' _Zok brit uth_! I warn you, once you've flown the skies of Keizaal, your envy of the dov will only increase.'

'I'll take that risk,' Lorien said through her teeth as she placed her hands on Odahviing's scaled neck and hauled herself onto his back.

On the ground, Irileth shook her head. 'You're either the bravest person I've ever met, or the biggest fool.'

'Let's hope for the former,' Lorien called back.

Balgruuf laughed. 'May Kynareth guard you while you pass through her realm!'

Lorien thanked him and turned her attention back to the skies ahead. 'Let's go,' she said quietly.

' _Amativ_!' Odahviing shouted. ' _Mu bo kotin stinselok_!' He beat his wings, taking off, and Lorien closed her eyes against the wind. Tears managed to escape anyway. She leant against Odahviing's neck, clinging on for dear life. Dear, dear life.

Bryn and Rune hurried to the balcony to watch her go. Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth soon joined them, gazing out over Skyrim even once Lorien was out of sight.

Balgruuf sighed, a little shakily. 'The fate of every living thing rests on that girl's shoulders,' he said to no one in particular.

Bryn nodded. 'She knows.'

'I can't imagine. It's hard enough being in control of one Hold... We must all pray for her safety and success.'

Everyone murmured agreement, and gradually the small crowd dispersed. Bryn and Rune had rooms at the inn – they hadn't known how long they'd be in Whiterun – so they returned there.

Both of them opened their letters as soon as they were behind closed doors.


	42. Goodbyes

_Bryn,_

_Everything I really need to say to you can be summed up in two phrases – 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry'. Nevertheless, I'll continue._

_Thank you for giving me the Guild, and through that my closest friends. (I mean you and Rune, by the way.) Thank you for seeing something in me when no one else saw me at all. Thank you for training me, and never giving up on me. For calling me out when I deserved it. For never letting me slack off. Thank you for worrying about me._

_I'm sorry for giving you cause to worry. I'm sorry for every time I left you, and the Guild, for any reason at all. Sorry for never staying behind when you told me to. Sorry for putting your life in danger, or you at risk in any way._

_You were the first friend I made in Skyrim that stuck around. I'll be grateful forever. And a little sorry too._

_with love from Lorien_

_Rune,_

_Gods, what would I do without you?_

_If everyone could forget you were a thief for one day, I think you'd be friends with all of them. You're the most reliable person I know. Always there for me, and always smiling. You give the best advice, and you're honest no matter what. I know for a fact you're the smartest of us, despite all the stupid jokes._

_Unfortunately, you're a thief and a scoundrel, so no one else will ever know about that._

_I'm not complaining. It means Bryn and I get you all to ourselves. And we will always be there for you – no matter what happens to me now._

_with love from Lori_


	43. A Sky of Every Colour

The atmosphere throughout Skyrim was strange.

Everyone knew that the Dragonborn had left to hunt down Alduin. Everyone was waiting for something, anything – because if nothing happened, Lorien had surely failed.

No one knew for sure yet, though. After all, who knew how long it would take to travel to Sovngarde? Perhaps longer than anyone had expected. There could still be hope.

So everyone hoped, and waited, and tried not to be consumed by the hoping and waiting.

Bryn wished there was some way of knowing, either way. Even if Lorien had failed, it would be better to know. He'd tried to spend time with Rune, but Rune had changed. He was quiet. Bryn kept noticing him staring at the walls, thinking about something else. He'd smile as soon as Bryn caught him, but wasn't so good at keeping the smile there.

It was unnerving. Rune was never like this.

So Bryn worked. He did whatever Karliah asked of him, then took extra jobs from Delvin and Vex. What else could he do? No one could stop the world from ending.

Except for Lorien.

When Lorien arrived in Sovngarde, she was immediately embraced by a thick mist. It obscured her vision so badly that she nearly tripped down the stone staircase that led to the ground.

' _Lok vah koor_!' she yelled into the fog. It thinned in front of her and she started forwards, but clearly this was no ordinary weather. The fog rematerialized too quickly.

Lorien gave up and walked slowly and carefully down the stairs. She could just about make out enormous stone statues on either side of her, but didn't stop to marvel at them. _Keep moving._

She moved for what felt like a long time. The mist was unchanging. Every so often, Lorien thought she heard a voice somewhere to one side of her. It only made her walk a little faster.

The only way to see through the clouds surrounding Lorien was to look up. The sky was a swirling mass of colours that reminded Lorien of the Aurora. But it was even more spectacular. It seemed as though every colour a human could see rippled between the stars – and there were so many stars, all of them shifting in the sky. The centre of the spiral was a blindingly bright light, surrounded by dark clouds. When Lorien looked up at it, she felt strangely as though she was falling into it.

 _Keep going._ There was no time for falling. Lorien looked down, and jumped as she noticed a man in front of her.

'Turn back, traveller!' the man said. He was dressed in Stormcloak armour. 'Terror waits within this mist! Many have braved the shadowed vale, but vain is all courage against the peril that guards the way.'

Lorien took a deep and slightly shaky breath. 'Who are you?' she asked.

'Near Giants' Gap, in the gloom before dawn, we marched unsuspecting into the Imperials' trap,' he told her. 'Then we stood and fought, our shield-wall defending until by dawn's light the Legion's ranks wavered. But I never knew if night's end brought glory – a swift-flying arrow to Sovngarde carried me.'

'Because you died in battle,' Lorien nodded. 'Do you know what this mist is?'

'I do not – but none have passed through it. Alduin, his hunger insatiable, hunts the lost souls snared within this shadowed valley. Can you lead the way to where Shor's hall waits, beckoning us on to a welcome long sought?'

'I—Yes, I can. It's at the end of this valley?'

The soldier nodded. 'I saw it fair when first I trod this long-sought path. The pain and fear vanished, dreamlike and a vision beckoned... Shor's hall, shimmering across the clouded vale. But quenched was hope by the shrouding mist – my mind is darkened. I've lost the way and wander blindly.'

'Well, let's try and walk there together—'

'Hurry! Before Alduin your life devours! Bring word to Shor's hall of our hard fate!'

Lorien nodded quickly. 'I will. You can follow me through the mist.'

The soldier joined her. 'I'll try to hold to your hopeful purpose. Quickly, before this encompassing fog once more snares me in the World-Eater's net.'

Lorien kept moving, following the path as well as she could. She and the soldier had only gone a short way before a dark shadow appeared on the ground and Lorien heard the unmistakable sound of a dragon roaring. She looked up – Alduin.

'There is no escape,' the Stormcloak behind her cried, his voice breaking. 'Courage is useless.'

Lorien could only watch as Alduin swooped down and plucked the soldier from the path. She flattened herself to the nearby rocks, trying to keep herself hidden. When Alduin was gone, she began to run.

She couldn't outrun a dragon. But the mist served some purpose – it would obscure Lorien from Alduin as long as she didn't stop moving. _Keep going._

Lorien hurried along the path, ignoring everything – and everyone – else around her until she caught sight of a building. Then she saw the bridge. It was enormous, and made out of something that looked like bone. The area around building and bridge seemed unaffected by the fog – Lorien could see them both clearly.

A man stood in front of the bridge. As Lorien approached him, she realised how tall he was. And broad, too, with muscles that Lorien eyes warily. He moved forwards to meet her.

'What brings you, wayfarer grim, to wander here in Sovngarde – souls'-end – Shor's gift to honoured dead?'

Lorien hesitated, unsure of how to answer that. 'I—Who are you?'

'I am Tsun,' the man said. 'Shield-thane to Shor. The Whalebone Bridge he bade me guard and winnow all those souls whose heroic end sent them here, to Shor's lofty hall – where welcome, well-earned, awaits those I judge fit to join that fellowship of honour.'

Lorien frowned. 'So dying honourably in battle isn't enough? They have to survive being _winnowed_ by you too?'

Tsun looked affronted. 'It is the greatest honour to enter this hall.'

'Well, what happens to everyone who doesn't pass the test? Do they just wander around here forever? Do they get another chance?'

'Enough questions!' Tsun interrupted. 'What brings you here?'

'I need to get into that hall you're so protective of.'

'No shade are you, as usually here passes. Living, you dare enter the land of the dead. By what right do you request entry?'

'I'm the Dragonborn. By right of that.'

'Ah!' Tsun smiled slightly. 'It's been too long since last I faced a doom-driven hero of the dragon blood.'

'Thanks for the vote of confidence,' Lorien said through her teeth. 'Can I enter the hall or not?'

'Living or dead, by decree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge until I judge them worthy by the warrior's test.' Tsun drew his axe, and Lorien realised what he meant.

She looked down at herself, then up at Tsun's large frame. 'Seems fair,' she muttered, drawing her daggers. ' _Fus ro da_!'

The power of the Thu'um hit Tsun full-on, but he didn't even falter. Lorien stared, surprised, as Tsun advanced. Then she swore loudly.

_Well, how are you supposed to take down a dragon if you can't fight Tsun?_

That was fair enough. Lorien tilted her head. She just needed to avoid him until she had the energy to Shout again. Hopefully a different Thu'um would have some affect.

Tsun swung his axe down, and Lorien shot to the side, steadying herself by crouching low and pressing her fingertips to the ground. Then she was up again, and ran at Tsun, hoping to catch him at least a little unawares. He was big but slow, and by the time he was swinging his axe again Lorien was prepared. She slid underneath it and darted behind Tsun, slashing into the flesh of his back with one of her daggers.

Was she supposed to kill him? Would that make Shor angry and stop Lorien in her tracks? Maybe—

Tsun yelled in pain and swung his axe round once more. The handle caught Lorien in the head, and she was knocked off balance for a moment. Tsun raised his axe.

' _WULD_!' Lorien yelled, and she was on the other side of Tsun before he could move. His axe still swung down, the blade hitting the ground hard and sticking there. He kept hold of it, pulling on the handle. Lorien could see it wouldn't be stuck for long. She readied her daggers again and ran at Tsun, leaping as she reached him, one blade poised to sink into his back—

He flung one arm out wildly behind him and knocked Lorien to the ground. She rolled over twice, narrowly avoiding cutting herself. _Back on your feet!_ She forced herself upwards and ran at Tsun again. One dagger was lost, but she thrust the other upwards to catch the blade of Tsun's axe as he bore down upon her. He was pushing the axe hard, and as much as Lorien strained she couldn't hold him for long. She was forced down onto one knee... giving her the perfect opportunity to whip her other dagger out from her boot and stick it into Tsun's stomach.

The axe slipped, just missing Lorien as it hit the ground again. Tsun backed away, clutching his stomach.

'You fought well for one so young,' he said after a moment. 'I find you worthy. It is long since one of the living has entered here – may Shor's favour follow you and your errand.' His hand fell away from his stomach, and Lorien saw that the wound had already healed. A fair fight, indeed.

She stepped past Tsun and towards the enormous bridge. The bones that marked the entrance stood so tall that they dwarfed both Lorien and Tsun. Lorien walked through them either way.

The bridge was mostly made from the spine and ribs of some enormous animal – a whale, Lorien supposed, based on what Tsun had said – which meant were was a ridge running down the centre too tall to walk over. Lorien eyed the two sides of the bridge warily. She didn't trust the grip that the bones provided.

Slowly, she edged onto the first bone, on the left of the spine. It immediately became obvious that there were gaps between each one, but Lorien tried her best not to think about that. She couldn't fall now, after all. Not when she was so close.

The gaps were just about small enough to step over without having to jump. Lorien wobbled slightly when she'd made it across, but didn't fall. Of course, there were still plenty of opportunities for that.

Slowly, slowly, Lorien made her way over the bridge. As she neared the centre the rush of water below her became deafening, but she did not look down. Only forwards, at the Hall of Valour.

And she made it there – eventually. There were four narrow doors in the stone, and Lorien chose one at random to enter through. When it was open, she was greeted by a rush of warmth.

So this was the Hall of Valour. There was a long stone table before Lorien, laden with food and goblets of drink. Beyond that was a large fire pit, with two oxen roasting on a spit above it. Lorien could just make out another table through the flames. To either side of these tables were whole rooms lined with barrels of – well, of some kind of drink.

Before Lorien could take in any more, a man approached her. He was heavily armoured, with long blonde hair and a beard to match. And he was smiling warmly at Lorien.

'Welcome, Dragonborn!' he said as he approached, spreading his arms wide. 'Our door has stood empty since Alduin first set his soul-snare here. By Shor's command, we sheathed our blades and ventured not the vale's dark mist.'

The way everyone in Sovngarde spoke took some getting used to. Lorien nodded – that seemed safe.

'But three await your word to loose their fury upon the perilous foe,' the man continued. 'Gormlaith the fearless, glad-hearted in battle; Hakon the valiant, heavy-handed warrior; Felldir the Old, far-seeing and grim.'

Lorien looked around her at the people in the hall, and it was only then that she noticed they were all glowing slightly. She glanced at her own arm – nothing. She supposed that was a good thing.

The man, who Lorien had decided must be Ysgramor if he wasn't Shor, offered her his own arm and led her through the hall to the opposite side. Lorien gazed up at the massively high ceiling as she walked, then looked down to find three people stood in front of her. One woman and two men. She recognised them from the vision the _Kel_ had granted her.

Gormlaith drew her sword and laughed when Lorien approached. 'At long last!' she grinned. 'Alduin's doom is now ours to seal – just speak the word, and with high hearts we'll hasten forth to smite the worm wherever he lurks.'

Hakon smiled grimly. 'For a hundred lifetimes, my heart has burned for revenge on Alduin too long delayed.'

'Hold, comrades,' Felldir interrupted. 'Let us counsel take before battle is blindly joined. Alduin's mist is more than a snare. Its shadowy gloom is his shield and cloak.'

'Is there a way to dispel it?' Lorien asked.

'With four Voices joined – our valour combined – we can blast the mist and bring him to battle.'

Hakon nodded. 'Felldir speaks wisdom. The World-Eater fears you, Dragonborn.'

Lorien almost laughed at that. 'Me?'

'We must drive away his mist, Shouting together, and then unsheathe our blades in desperate battle with our black-winged foe.'

At that, Felldir drew his own sword, and Hakon followed suit. Lorien grabbed her bow from her back.

'To battle, my friends!' Gormlaith called as she led them out of the hall. 'The fields will echo with the clamour of war, our wills undaunted!'

Lorien followed, feeling a small rush of adrenaline just at being included in this group of warriors. They all made their way across the bridge, with Lorien taking far more care than any of the others. Well, she could still die. They didn't have much to fear.

Tsun waved them off as the passed. 'The eyes of Shor are upon you this day,' he reminded Lorien. 'Defeat Alduin, and destroy his soul-snare!'

She nodded and hurried to catch up. When she reached the group again, Felldir was speaking.

'We cannot fight the foe in this mist!' he said.

Gormlaith nodded. 'We must clear the skies – combine our Shouts!'

'Alright,' Lorien nodded. 'On the count of three. One... two...'

As soon as the word 'three' was spoken, all four of the warriors Shouted with all their might.

' _LOK VAH KOOR_!'

Lorien watched as an incredible force pushed the seemingly impenetrable fog away from them. For a few seconds, they stood, looking around them at the now-clear surroundings. Then a voice – from above.

' _VEN MUL RIIK_ ,' Alduin boomed. Everyone stared upwards, searching the skies for him. Then the ground seemed to shake beneath their feet, and the fog unfurled itself again, surrounding them.

Gormlaith let out a cry of frustration. 'Again!' she yelled.

Lorien nodded. 'One, two, _three_!'

' _LOK VAH KOOR_!'

The mist receded, but soon enough the disembodied voice came again. ' _VEN MUL RIIK_!'

'Does his strength have no end?' Hakon cried. 'Is our struggle in vain?'

'We have to keep trying,' Lorien said with more conviction than she felt. 'He'll come and stop us soon enough. Or try to, at least.'

'She's right,' Gormlaith said. 'Stand fast! His strength is failing – once more, and his might may be broken!'

Felldir nodded. 'One more time, and the World-Eater must face us!'

 _One more time,_ Lorien thought. It was so close now. Her breaths were coming out in shaky gasps, and her hands were starting to feel a little sweaty. Not now. She needed a firmer grasp on her bow than ever.

'One!' she yelled. 'Two! THREE! _LOK VAH KOOR_!'

There was silence for many long seconds, and Lorien thought she caught sight of someone running out of the remains of the fog towards the hall. Then the ground truly began to shake, and Lorien staggered backwards.

Gormlaith was crouched nearby. 'The endless wait gives way to battle!' she called, smiling. 'Alduin's doom – his death or ours!'

 _You're already dead!_ Lorien wanted to remind her. But before she could say anything at all, a black, winged shape appeared over the nearby rocky hill. It was him.

Alduin.

Everything happened at once. Dark shapes began to fall from the sky, and Lorien realised they were rocks. She jumped to the side just as one crashed to the ground nearby. Alduin swooped scarily low, and the warriors took their opportunity to Shout.

Lorien knew she should be Shouting too, but she felt... frozen. She stared, her bow in one hand, watching Alduin fly overhead.

' _Dovahkiin_ ,' he was saying. ' _Hin kah fen kos bonaar_.'

Lorien gritted her teeth and replied. ' _JOOR ZAH FRUL_!'

The familiar blue light enveloped Alduin, and began to drag him downwards.

'He's landing!' Lorien yelled to the other warriors, her dragon-fighting instincts kicking in. 'I'll find higher ground to shoot from! Attack from the sides – avoid the tail! Don't get near the head unless you have a shield on you!'

The warriors nodded, unquestioning. When Alduin hit the ground, Lorien retreated and loaded her first arrow without thinking.

She aimed for the neck – it was her best chance to do damage from where she was standing. Arrow after arrow flew, and a fair few of them found their mark.

Gormlaith was running at Alduin, already swinging her sword wildly. 'For Skyrim!' she yelled. 'For Shor! For Sovngarde's freedom!'

Alduin turned, catching sight of Lorien. It was only then that she saw he was still blinded in one eye.

'He's blind on one side,' she murmured. 'HE'S BLIND ON ONE SIDE!'

Hakon looked back at her, then towards Alduin. There was just about time for them to understand what Lorien meant before Alduin freed himself and took flight once more.

Lorien waited for him to fly a little closer, then Shouted. ' _Joor zah frul_!'

Soon enough, Alduin landed again. The warriors resumed their attack, and Lorien noticed that they were making use of the dragon's blind spot. She nodded to herself, took a deep breath, and sprinted around to the opposite side – the side Alduin could see her on.

He was distracted by the other three warriors, and Lorien loaded another arrow to her bow. She aimed. This had to be the best shot of her life. She steadied herself, closing one eye—

Then a rock fell, knocking Lorien completely off balance.

She sprawled on the ground, her arrow lost and the bow out of her reach. She crawled towards it. Another rock fell, this one close – so close that it landed on Lorien's left leg. Crushing it.

She screamed in pain, flattening herself against the ground. Oh gods oh gods oh gods. This couldn't be happening. Lorien groaned loudly, tucking her chin into her chest, then stretched to reach her bow again.

It was too late – Alduin had already taken flight. Well, that meant a brief reprieve for Lorien to sort herself out. She allowed herself one minute.

Tears sprung into her eyes as she twisted herself around to see the boulder, and pain ripped through her lower body. _Don't look at your leg._ She looked at her leg. It wasn't a leg anymore.

Lorien gritted her teeth. ' _Fus_ ,' she said through the tears, and the rock was pushed away by an invisible force. More pain, but at least she was free. _Don't look at your leg._

' _Resarcio_ ,' she breathed, her hand hovering over the mess of flesh and crushed bone that was attached to her. ' _RESARCIO_.'

In a somewhat sickening way, the bones began to reform and fit back together. Lorien closed her eyes, bracing herself for the building pain. It wouldn't go away, she knew – not for a long time yet – but the healing spell would numb it a little.

Finally, her leg resembled a leg again. Could she stand? Only one way to find out.

Slowly, slowly, Lorien pushed herself into a crouch. Then she stood, shakily. She could just about stay on her feet – but not for too long. They had to finish this fight.

Luckily, someone else had Shouted. Alduin came crashing to the ground, and Lorien took aim with newfound determination. She wasn't far away. This was possible.

Letting out a steady breath, Lorien shot Alduin in his one remaining eye.

The sound he made was one that Lorien would hear in her mind several times over later on. Part rage, part agony, part desperation. He knew he was losing.

Lorien's leg buckled underneath her, and she let herself fall. She'd done what she could. Alduin was an easy target now, surely.

She watched from the ground, waiting for the dragon to take flight once more. He didn't. He was hit with blow after blow, and though he swung his head wildly, he couldn't find the warriors. It was Hakon that finished him off with a blow to the neck.

Alduin slumped to the ground, and Lorien's mouth opened in disbelief. They'd done it. They'd actually killed him.

An involuntary cry of happiness escaped her as she stared. Alduin was still moving, writhing in pain, but he was dying. Undoubtedly, he was dying.

Lorien stared at the sky until her eyes began to swim.

Alduin roared as the life left him, a broken sound that spoke of pain and despair. Lorien couldn't bring herself to pity Alduin even so – not after everything he'd done.

Lorien tried her best to sit up, but her vision was blurred. She waved towards the warriors, but when a rock landed, exploding near her, and part of it rocketed into Lorien's head, she fell and lay still.


	44. The Death of a Dragon(born)

Tsun sent the Dragonborn's body back to Skyrim.

It appeared on the Throat of the World, and was half-covered in snow by the time Paarthurnax returned to find it. He joined the other dragons, perched all over the mountaintop, and listened as they spoke.

' _Alduin mahlaan_ ,' they said as one. ' _Sahrot thur qahnaraan_. _Dovahkiin los ok dovahriid_. _Thu'umii los nahlot_. _Mu lost vomir_.'

Their combined voices sent tremors through the mountain, down to its very base. It was not enough to wake Lorien. Paarthurnax looked upon her body, filled with an unexpected sadness. The Dragonborn had become a symbol of hope, for both men and dragons alike. It was not easy to see her shrouded in snow and lifeless.

Every dragon lowered its head, and as Paarthurnax watched another joined the congregation. One he recognised – Odahviing. He stood at Paarthurnax's side.

'Alduin is no more?' he asked after a few seconds had passed.'

'Nor is the _Dovahkiin_ ,' Paarthurnax replied.

' _Nii los an paak_. I would rather my allegiance lay with her. We must all go our own way now.'

'I had hoped that would be the Way of the Voice.'

Odahviing looked around him at the assembled dragons. 'Not all the _dov_ will be willing to follow your example, Paarthurnax.'

' _Zu'u mindok_. Some will.'

For the first time in centuries, Paarthurnax found himself unsure of what to do. The people had to know that Alduin was dead... but then they would expect Lorien back. If Paarthurnax told them she was dead, they'd take her body and bury her or burn her. Paarthurnax did not want that. Not because he disagreed with the ritual, but because in Lorien's very soul, she was _dov_. Which meant she could not truly die until her soul was absorbed. As far as Paarthurnax could tell, it hadn't been.

There was one who had known how to raise slain dragons from their burial grounds. And he had just been killed, his body disintegrating to nothingness in Sovngarde.

The storm was letting up. Paarthurnax knew that one of the Greybeards would soon make the journey to the top of the mountain. They would have heard the dragons' chant – felt it, too – and realised that Lorien's journey had come to an end. They wouldn't yet know how final that end was.

Paarthurnax did not like to admit that he had learnt anything from Alduin – his fallen brother. But for a moment, he was grateful to the other dragon for creating a Thu'um that would now bring Lorien back from the dead.

Odahviing watched as Paarthurnax stepped towards Lorien's body. 'This is unwise, _zeymah_. You know it is.'

Paarthurnax lowered his head so it was close to the ground. ' _Slen tiid vo_.'

The force of the _Thu'um_ enveloped Lorien, stirring the snow around her and covering her body in it. Paarthurnax stepped backwards as the snow all around her began to swirl and rise from the ground. He couldn't see Lorien anymore.

After a few moments had passed, the snow settled over Lorien once more. She was completely obscured. The mountaintop was silent.

* * *

Lorien opened her eyes and was confronted by a blinding whiteness. For the second time in her life, she wondered if this was the aftermath of death. It felt cold enough.

Then she realised her hands – albeit a little numb – could feel snow. She was buried in snow.

 _Buried?_ _No no no no no._ Almost frantically, Lorien thrust one arm upwards, through the snow, and felt air.

She sat up. The snow fell away from her face, and she blinked repeatedly. When she could see again, she found herself on the Throat of the World. Surrounded by dragons.

Maybe this was a hallucination.

' _Dovahkiin_ ,' Paarthurnax said, bowing his head. 'I was beginning to think we wouldn't see you again.'

Lorien looked around her wildly, then back at Paarthurnax. 'What happened? Is Alduin dead?'

'He is,' Paarthurnax told her.

'Am I?'

'No.'

Lorien nodded, then tried to get to her feet. She immediately cried out in pain as her left leg gave out and she fell on her knees again.

' _Drem,_ _Dovahkiin_. You have been through many trials.'

'My leg,' Lorien said. 'It was crushed, I don't know if I healed it well enough—'

'I have healed it. You will soon have help,' Paarthurnax assured her. 'But you should hear this first.'

As Lorien sat in the snow, Paarthurnax spoke to the dragons around them in Dovah. He spoke of a new era of peace between humans and dragons and of how wrong Alduin had always been. He reminded them that the humans had the Dragonborn, so neither party had an advantage. The only solution was to put an end to the conflict.

Lorien listened and agreed. She never wanted to kill another dragon. They were beautiful really – if only everyone could see them that way.

Then again, the souls brought her so much strength...

She shook her head as if ridding herself of the thought. She wanted peace. Of course she wanted peace.

That reminded her – she was going to have to deal with the civil war issue soon enough. It was too much to hope that the fight would be given up, surely.

Then again, so much had changed. The fragile agreement between the Empire and the Thalmor had been shattered long ago now, which could mean worship of Talos would be permitted again. As far as Lorien knew, there had been a lot of confusion and several debates, but no new agreement had been reached.

When Paarthurnax had finished speaking with the dragons and they had begun to depart, Lorien tried to stand up again. Her leg shook dangerously beneath her, but as long as she kept most of her weight on the other foot, she could just about stay upright. Paarthurnax looked at her, then turned his head up to the sky.

' _Sadonvum_ ,' he called, and Lorien realised he was summoning the Greybeards.

As they waited, Paarthurnax wondered. Perhaps he shouldn't have revived the _Dovahkiin_. After all, he knew the prophecy better than anyone else. Alduin and the Dragonborn would appear simultaneously, and die together. They would never exist without the other. The Dragonborn would complete their destiny, and with it their life.

And yet Lorien sat beside Paarthurnax now, very much alive.

Paarthurnax knew he should have let her die. But he could not deny that he cared for the girl. More than he did for cruel fate. She could not know what he had done, or she would be an accessory to the crime, and when the punishment came – as it surely would – it would fall upon her. No, Paarthurnax would not tell her. He was old, and he had made his choice. The fall was his to take.

So when Arngeir came up the mountain to find Lorien with the dragon, Paarthurnax said nothing of what had happened on the mountaintop. When Arngeir examined Lorien's leg, and commented on how perfectly it had healed, Paarthurnax knew that wasn't due to her magic. But he said nothing.


	45. Our Least Favourite Person is Back

It had been about a week since Alduin's death.

Lorien was staying in Solitude with General Tullius. He was in a better mood than she had ever seen him, and kept mentioning a 'victory tour'. Lorien had mostly ignored this.

She spent most of her time in her room. It was nice to be alone, and for the first time since arriving in Skyrim she could escape the feeling that she should be somewhere else, doing something important.

Alduin was dead – Lorien was alive. And she was free. It felt as though her whole life was stretching in front of her, blissfully uninterrupted. And Skyrim was safe, which was a brilliant feeling – Lorien had come to love it so much. Nothing filled her with pride like the thought that she had helped to save it.

Still, she was glad that her saving days were over. There was no destiny anymore, she realised. That was what felt so freeing. She wasn't locked into any particular path.

Except the path that led to this victory tour. General Tullius wasn't letting the issue go. He wanted to accompany Lorien to each of the hold capitals, where she would meet with the Jarl and their court. There would also be a chance to speak to the people of that hold.

After a little persuading, Lorien agreed to the idea. It wouldn't exactly be arduous. Besides, she'd been promised a grand meal in every hold.

'All the Jarls will be trying to outdo each other,' Tullius had explained. 'They know how important you are – how much their people admire you. They'll do anything to win your favour.'

Lorien had lowered the book she'd been reading to raise an eyebrow at him. 'Anything?'

Tullius had nodded, and before Lorien knew it she was helping to plan the route through Skyrim.

'Is Solitude included in this?' she asked Tullius.

'Of course – Jarl Elisif is making the preparations for a celebration as we speak. But that will come at the end of your tour, to give everyone who wishes to attend the chance to make it here.'

'So it's a round trip.'

'Exactly.'

Lorien hid her disappointment. She'd been hoping she could orchestrate a route that ended in Riften, so she could stay there, but that didn't seem possible now. 'So where to first?'

Tullius rubbed his chin, looking down at one of his many maps. 'Morthal,' he said. 'It's the smallest, and bound to be the least impressive. We can get it over with quickly and continue east from there.'

Lorien examined the map again. She'd almost forgotten how many holds there were. Nine – which meant nine hold capitals to visit. Nine banquets, nine jarls to please, nine cities full of people for Lorien to meet. She suddenly felt very nervous.

'How long will you spend in each hold?' Legate Rikke was asking.

'A day, I think,' Tullius replied, glancing at Lorien, who shrugged. 'The Dragonborn can spend the day in the city, and dine with the Jarl in the evening. We'll leave the following morning.'

'And will you travel at night?'

Tullius thought this over. 'With both myself and Lorien on board, it may be unwise to.'

'You'll be the best-guarded party around,' Rikke pointed out.

'I don't want to risk it. No, we'll stay at the inns in the cities overnight and travel by day. Everyone needs a chance to rest.'

Unsurprisingly, General Tullius approached the planning with military precision. Lorien pretended to listen, but only caught fragments of what was said. Apparently it didn't matter if they arrived in Falkreath a little late – it was a small place anyway. She was not to drink too much as they would often need to get up early to travel. Someone needed to write to each of the hold capitals.

'I can help with that,' Lorien volunteered.

'Are you sure?' Tullius asked. 'There's a lot to arrange.'

Lorien nodded, then scrambled for some paper as Tullius began to list the things she needed to organise.

'Let each of the Jarls know when we'll be with them. We need to have horses ready at Windhelm, Whiterun and Markarth to swap with our own. Rooms have to be reserved at the inns of every capital. Some for two nights – I'll give you the schedule so you know which is which. And they need to be guarded.'

'How many rooms?'

'Would you like your own?'

'I'm not opposed to sharing.'

'Then we just need to ensure there are enough beds available for you, myself and one guard. The rest will be accommodated in the barracks.'

Lorien nodded, writing this down. 'Is that all?'

'For now.' Tullius handed her the schedule he had written up, and Lorien retreated to her room to write the letters. She glanced over the schedule as she walked. As it turned out, they'd be leaving Solitude in another week's time.

_Morndas – Leave Solitude in early morning, travel four hours to arrive in Morthal a few hours before noon. Celebrations, then overnight._

_Tirdas – Leave Morthal in early morning, travel five hours to arrive in Dawnstar a few hours before noon. Celebrations, then overnight._

_Middas - Leave Dawnstar in early morning, travel five hours to arrive in Winterhold a few hours before noon. Celebrations, then overnight._

_Turdas – Leave Winterhold in early morning, travel five hours to arrive in Windhelm a few hours before noon. Celebrations, then overnight._

_Fredas – Travel nine hours to arrive in Riften in early evening. Overnight._

_Loredas – Celebrations in Riften. Overnight._

_Sundas – Travel twelve hours to arrive in Whiterun in the evening. Overnight._

_Morndas – Celebrations in Whiterun. Overnight._

_Tirdas – Leave Whiterun in early morning, travel seven hours to arrive in Falkreath by noon. Celebrations, then overnight._

_Middas – Travel twelve hours to arrive in Markarth in the evening. Overnight._

_Turdas – Celebrations in Markarth. Overnight._

_Fredas – Travel ten hours to arrive in Solitude in the evening. Overnight._

_Loredas – Celebrations in Solitude._

Lorien tucked the schedule in with the other sheets of paper she was carrying and opened the door to her room. It would take them nearly a fortnight to make the trip, and they weren't leaving for another week. By the time Lorien was back in Solitude, it would be almost exactly a month since Alduin's death. Maybe that was deliberate.

She made a new list of the places they'd be staying in for two nights. Just Riften, Whiterun and Markarth, as far as she could tell. And Tullius had said horses were needed in... Windhelm, Whiterun and Markarth. Lorien found the sheet of paper that said so and laid it out in front of her. Only then did she start writing the letters.

She'd met a few of the Jarls, but knew the letters would probably be opened by their stewards. No one was expecting Jarl Balgruuf to book rooms in the inn himself – although, out of all of them, he was probably the most likely to. Lorien smiled at the thought of visiting some of the places she wrote to.

As she wrote and wrote, she realised why they weren't leaving for another week. It would give the couriers time to reach the other side of Skyrim, and for the recipients of the letters to organise whatever they needed to. Lorien hoped it wouldn't be too extravagant. She didn't want anyone going too out of their way.

When she had a stack of nine letters, a near-empty inkwell and a badly cramping hand, Lorien finally stood up and stretched. She felt a twinge of pain in her leg, but it was one of few that occurred now. She'd healed remarkably well, and although no one could explain how, they were glad that she was recovering.

Lorien was tempted to sit down again and read for a while – maybe on the windowsill, that would be nice. But she should take the letters to Tullius first. He would undoubtedly read them all to make sure they were correct, even though Lorien had already checked each one twice. Just as Lorien had gathered the letters into her hands, there was a knock on the door.

Lorien opened it to find General Tullius, holding something wrapped in fabric. Lorien raised an eyebrow at him.

'Jarl Elisif sent you this,' Tullius explained. 'A token of her gratitude. I thought it would be appropriate, given your current task.'

Lorien frowned as she unwrapped the gift, then smiled. It was a stamp for wax seals.

'My own seal?' she said. Tullius nodded, and when Lorien turned it over to look at the design it was confirmed. The stamp depicted a dragon's head. 'Well, I just finished the letters. I can use it now.'

Tullius directed her to the small library, where there was a supply of sealing wax, and Lorien grinned as she walked there. For the first time in ages, she felt as though everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Lorien woke to the sound of a knock on her door.

Her mind couldn't quite grasp this concept at first, so she spent a few seconds somewhere between asleep and awake, vaguely hearing the knocking. _Oh. Waking up time._

'Hello,' she mumbled. Then, 'Uh, I mean, yes. I'm up!'

She wasn't quite, but after another minute spent dangerously near sleep Lorien managed to force herself out of bed. She immediately caught sight of her bag waiting near the door, and remembered that she was leaving for Morthal today. Not for a few hours yet, thankfully.

Lorien opened her wardrobe. Someone had arranged for the elves down at Radiant Raiments to supply her with a whole new set of clothes, but she'd barely looked at them until now. She knew that on travelling days she could wear what she wanted, but to attend the banquets she was expected to dress in something a little more sophisticated.

If Lorien was honest, she liked having the dresses. It was fun to get decked out in finery. She suspected that the novelty would wear off at some point, but for now she took a little pleasure in running her hands over each dress before laying them into her trunk.

While meeting the people of each hold capital, Lorien needed to look like the Dragonborn. So it was armour, as usual. Lorien dressed without needing to think about it, then examined her hair. It was a mess. She hadn't done the best job when cutting it last time, so it was growing a little unevenly. The wiry curls tended to hide this – but today was not one of those days.

Lorien grabbed one of the many strips of fabric she had in her bedside drawer and used it to tie her hair back from her face. There. She turned and surveyed the room, checking for anything she might have forgotten to pack. There was bound to be something, but it wasn't anything that Lorien could see. She lifted the chest of dresses and deposited it outside her door for the guards to collect. Then she headed downstairs for some breakfast.

It was while escaping the kitchens with a roll in each hand that Lorien bumped into General Tullius. He smiled warmly at her, then hesitated.

Lorien frowned. 'Don't tell me something's gone wrong.'

'I'm no longer going to be accompanying you,' Tullius explained.

Lorien was surprised by how disappointed she felt. 'Why not? I thought you were looking forward to it!'

'I was, Lorien. But it would be unwise for me to leave Solitude now that the truce between myself and Ulfric is becoming... strained. He may well take advantage of my absence to attack the city, and that would be – well, disastrous. I'm sure you understand.'

'Of course,' Lorien said after a moment. 'Am I going alone, then?'

'Well – I had hoped the Blades would be here by now.'

'The _Blades_?' Lorien repeated. How was she only finding out today? 'No. No. Absolutely not. The Blades hate me, and I don't care much for them either. I'd rather go alone.'

'That won't be happening, Lorien.' Tullius began to walk off, and Lorien hurried after him. 'Besides, they don't know that they're coming here for you.'

'That's even worse!' Lorien insisted. 'You'll probably give Esbern a heart attack!'

Tullius stifled a laugh. 'Lorien – I'm sorry. We don't have time to make any other arrangements.'

Lorien stopped following him, sighing as she realised that there was no arguing with the General. She returned to her room to get her bag, and when a guard arrived to tell her that Delphine and Esbern had just arrived she left obediently.

Esbern gasped when he saw Lorien. Even Delphine looked taken aback, and Lorien raised her eyebrows. She hadn't expected a warm welcome, but this seemed a little over the top. They looked like they'd seen a ghost.

'Dragonborn,' Delphine said after a few seconds, but her voice had none of its usual sternness. Instead, she just sounded shocked. 'You survived.'

They didn't know? Well, Sky Haven Temple was a little out of the way. Perhaps the news just hadn't reached them yet. Lorien shrugged. 'Nice to know you had faith in me.'

Delphine and Esbern exchanged poorly-hidden glances, and Lorien could just imagine them talking about how rude she was later.

'If you'll excuse me,' Delphine said carefully. 'I need to speak to General Tullius before we leave.'

'Don't be long,' Lorien called after her. 'We're on a schedule.'

Esbern hadn't said a word since seeing Lorien, and didn't seem in a hurry to break his silence. Once everything but Delphine was loaded onto the cart, he finally found his words again.

'Dragonborn – how did you survive the fight with Alduin?'

Lorien pulled an apple from her bag and bit into it. 'Blinded him.'

'And then?'

She shrugged. 'The others finished him off. I was too badly injured.'

'How so?' Esbern asked almost eagerly.

'My leg was crushed by a falling boulder,' Lorien said slowly, frowning.

'And the aftermath of the fight? Did you see Alduin die? What happened then?'

'I didn't really see the exact moment of his death. I was knocked out. But Tsun wouldn't have sent me back if Alduin lived.'

'Well – when did you wake up?'

'When I was back in Skyrim,' Lorien said, glancing around for Delphine. She was growing impatient. 'On the Throat of the World.'

'Were you alone there?'

Lorien turned her attention back to Esbern, then smiled. 'If you're still looking for Paarthurnax, keep looking. He moved on a long time ago.'

'And he wasn't there when you awoke.'

' _No_ ,' Lorien said. 'By the gods, Esbern. Why so many questions?'

Esbern sighed. 'Forgive me, Dragonborn. You fought Alduin, the World-Eater, and won. I am curious, that's all.'

Inside Castle Dour, Delphine was taking a less polite approach to finding the truth.

'We told you of the prophecy!' she practically yelled at General Tullius. 'The Dragonborn was supposed to _die_ , and here she is embarking on a victory tour!'

Tullius almost laughed, not looking up from the letter he was writing. 'You should be celebrating along with everyone else, Delphine. Why so angry?'

'Because if the Dragonborn isn't dead, the prophecy isn't fulfilled. How can we possibly be sure that Alduin is dead?'

'Lorien killed him,' Tullius replied. 'She was there when he died. Somehow she survived, and we should all be grateful for that.'

'There is no way she could have survived.'

Tullius stood. 'Delphine – don't you think that if anyone could, it would be Lorien?'

She scoffed. 'What are you talking about?'

'We both know how powerful she is. She learns faster than any soldier I've trained. She hunted dragons with you for a full year. Can you deny her natural skill in that area?'

Delphine shook her head.

'Who better to kill Alduin, then? Who else is more likely to survive it?'

'I don't care how powerful she is, Tullius. She isn't powerful enough to defy destiny.'

Tullius spread his hands. 'Apparently she is. And, Delphine?'

Delphine turned back from the door she'd been about to open.

'Not a word of this to the Dragonborn. If she knew we'd hidden the real prophecy...'

Delphine held the General's gaze for a few seconds, then shrugged. 'Makes no difference to me.'

'It makes a difference to us all. You know what she is, now more than ever. Not even fate can control her. We have to reason to be afraid for her anymore.' Tullius glanced down before speaking again. 'It seems as though we have more cause to be afraid of her. Don't make her angry again.'

Delphine nodded, remembering what had happened when she went to High Hrothgar and was stopped by Lorien. Perhaps the General had a point. 'I won't tell her.'

'Good. Go – and look after her.'

* * *

Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone was waiting outside Highmoon Hall when the Dragonborn's carriage arrived at Morthal. She held up a hand in greeting and nodded to Lorien, but didn't make much effort to smile.

Lorien tried her best to make up for it once she had alighted the carriage. She gave the Jarl a winning smile before shaking her hand, making sure to incline her head respectfully.

Idgrod looked Lorien up and down. 'I have heard much about you, Dragonborn.'

'And I you, my lady,' Lorien responded. It was true – Tullius had spoken with her about all of the Jarls, and Idgrod had been the topic of conversation on the way to Morthal. 'All good, of course – and all interesting.'

Idgrod raised an eyebrow, then gave a sort of half-smile which Lorien felt proud to have evoked. 'I look forward to discussing it later, at dinner,' the Jarl said. 'For now – you must meet with my people. They are eager to speak to you.'

Lorien had seen some of the people of Morthal approaching as the carriage pulled in, and now they were gathering in earnest. She shook hands, asked names, told everyone how nice it was to meet them. She meant it. She'd never been surrounded by so many smiling faces.

The afternoon seemed to fly by. Lorien recounted the story of Alduin's defeat several times, once to a group consisting of Agni, Joric and Virkmund – the three children in the village. Lorien made this version a little less graphic.

Before she knew it she was in the first of her new dresses and headed for Highmoon Hall, where a long table had been set up. Jarl Idgrod was at the head of the table, and Lorien found herself sat on one side of her. Opposite Lorien was a Redguard in mage's robes that she hadn't met yet.

'My name is Falion,' he said in a deep voice, as though he had heard her thoughts. 'An honour to meet you, Dragonborn.'

'Lorien, please,' she smiled. 'Are you the court mage?'

He glanced sideways at Idgrod before answering. 'No. Morthal doesn't have an acting court mage. The people here are rather mistrusting of magic.'

'Oh,' Lorien said. Most Redguards shared that view, but Lorien was indifferent to most forms of magic, and Falion certainly didn't seem to mind them. 'You are a mage, though?' Lorien asked him.

'I am. I used to be a teacher of conjuration magic, actually.'

'At the College?'

'Yes.'

'Why did you leave?'

'Myself and the Arch-Mage didn't get along,' Falion shrugged, taking a bite of his food.

Lorien took this as her cue to stop asking questions and looked to her left instead. A young woman was sat there.

Jarl Idgrod nodded towards her, having spotted Lorien looking. 'My daughter,' she said once she'd swallowed her mouthful of food. 'Idgrod the Younger.'

Lorien could see how what would get confusing, but she just nodded and smiled. Idgrod the Younger, having heard her name, turned to see what was being said.

'Your mother was just introducing you to me,' Lorien said, smiling.

Idgrod the Younger nodded, giving a small smile in return. 'It's lovely to meet you. We all owe you thanks. More than that – our lives.' She had a lovely voice, though used it quietly.

Lorien shook her head, looking at the table. 'I'm glad I could help. Are you to be Jarl after your mother, then?'

Idgrod the Younger nodded. 'I do have a brother, but he's younger than me. Joric,' she added.

'Oh – I met him earlier! He's—'

'Please don't mind him,' Idgrod the Younger said quickly. 'He's not mad, really he isn't – just needs a little taking care of. He has dreams.'

Lorien was a little surprised. 'I wasn't going to say anything of the sort. He seems like a nice boy. Very thoughtful.'

Idgrod the Younger nodded. 'I should go and find him, really. I'll be back soon.' She inclined her head and left the table.

Lorien looked at her plate, worried that she'd offended the Jarl's daughter. Eventually, the Jarl herself got Lorien's attention again.

'Tell me all these interesting things you've heard about me, Dragonborn,' she asked.

Lorien laughed and fell back into conversation. Perhaps this tour wouldn't feel as long as she'd expected.


	46. The Importance of Consent

The next few days were a flurry of travelling, checking into inns, falling into beds and waking early. The banquets began to blur into one another, and Lorien remembered the Jarls she met by their most obvious traits. Skald Felgeif, the Jarl of Dawnstar, was a little grumpy and very stuck in his beliefs. Jarl Korir of Winterhold was good-looking, but Lorien found that he too was weighed down by old grudges and wasn't the best conversationalist. It was almost a relief to be in Windhelm again, and to see Jarl Ulfric.

There were plenty of issues on which Lorien and Ulfric disagreed. But they seemed to come to an unspoken agreement to avoid these topics for the evening, and no one could deny that the two of them got on surprisingly well. Ulfric laughed at Lorien's jokes, and each time his steward would look over as though the sound confused him.

It was only when people at the table began to discuss the Thalmor and how terrible they were that Lorien excused herself for the evening. She didn't want to risk being asked for her opinion on the matter.

Delphine and Esbern had mostly kept their distance from Lorien, which no one minded. Unfortunately, Lorien knew she was sharing a room with Delphine that night. The extra room, which had been intended for a guard, was now Esbern's. But there were guards outside the doors, and Tullius seemed to trust the Blades to look after Lorien.

But when Lorien was woken with a shake the next morning, it didn't matter who was waking her. She reacted without looking or thinking – she yelled, shoved the person who'd touched her away and grabbed for the dagger on the bedside table.

'LORIEN!' Delphine yelled as the doors opened and a guard ran in.

Lorien stopped. She was kneeling on her bed, the knife held out in front of her. Delphine was stood at the end of it, pure rage on her face.

Lorien glanced between her and the guard. 'I'm sorry,' she said after a moment. 'I must have been dreaming.'

Delphine managed a smile. 'The Dragonborn has night terrors. She's been through a lot. I can handle it from here.'

The guard nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Delphine turned back to Lorien. 'Pull a knife on me again, Dragonborn, and I might just turn it on you.'

Lorien sunk down onto her bed again, glaring. 'I didn't know it was you.'

'You need to get a hold of yourself. You're not a child anymore – and you're in the public eye. Act like it.'

Travelling that day was mostly silent. Lorien refused to talk to Delphine or Esbern, and the two guards with them were riding on horses behind the carriage. So Lorien read. The only thing that kept her spirits up was the thought that they'd be in Riften soon, and Lorien would have an evening and the whole next day to spend there.

Even though she entered Riften in the evening, Lorien was greeted by a crowd of people waving from the street. She waved back and couldn't help smiling, but she was scanning the crowd, searching for—

There. Bryn was leaning ever so casually against his stall in the marketplace. When Lorien caught sight of him he waved back, smirking and inclining his head a little.

Lorien grinned widely. Before she could be swarmed, she ran towards Bryn and didn't stop until she was standing in front of him. He looked at her, still smiling slightly, and Lorien took his face in her hands and kissed him.

It was a short kiss. Lorien broke away and stepped back, now searching Bryn's face instead of the crowd. He looked shocked – Lorien waited for his expression to soften into a smile as she knew it would.

It didn't. Bryn lifted his hand to his mouth for a moment, then let it fall. He wasn't looking at Lorien anymore. She stared at him even so, for as long as she could until the crowd came between them and enveloped her.

* * *

When Lorien was finally free, she headed straight for the Guild. Rune grinned widely as soon as he saw her – there was something she could rely on, at least.

'The Dragonborn returns,' he announced, though no one but Lorien was listening.

She smiled. 'It's so good to see you again.'

'You too, Lori. Sorry I missed your grand arrival. Bryn said it was quite something, though.'

Lorien watched Rune as he talked. He didn't seem to know what had happened. 'It was great,' she said after a moment. 'Where is Bryn, anyway? He... ran off.'

'In his room, I think.' Rune gestured to the door of the second's room.

'Thank you,' Lorien smiled. 'I promise I'll be back to tell you everything later.'

'I'll hold you to that,' Rune called as Lorien hurried towards Bryn's room.

There was a pause between Lorien knocking and Bryn responding. When he did, it was only to ask, 'Who is it?'

'It's—me,' Lorien said. Her stomach seemed to be squirming within her.

A few long seconds passed. 'Come in.'

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lorien pushed the door open to find Bryn sat on the floor. He was leaning on the chest by the end of his bed, one leg spread out, one bent and tucked into his chest.

'Hello,' Lorien said quietly.

Bryn looked up at her. Slowly, he stood, crossing his arms when he was upright. 'Do you need something, Lorien?'

'I... need to talk to you.'

'I suppose you do.' Bryn sighed. 'Go on then. I'm sure you're angry.'

'I—Wait. Angry?'

'Aye, lass. Aren't you angry?'

'No! You're angry!'

Bryn looked at her for a moment. Then he nodded once.

Lorien's heart sunk. She had expected anger, but having Bryn confirm it was hard. 'Well, I didn't come to shout at you. I came to apologise. I made a mistake.'

'By kissing me?'

'Yes. No—I mean, not that the act of kissing you is a mistake as such, but I... went about it in completely the wrong way. I should have asked first. I should definitely have asked first. I acted on an impulse, and—'

'Some things shouldn't _be_ impulsive, Lorien.'

'I know!'

'Then why did you do that?'

'Because...' Lorien glanced around her.

'Did you think that because you're the Dragonborn, the saviour of Skyrim, that I would just be grateful?'

'No!' she said quickly. 'Of course not! It was because... because I've had an awful day and I saw you across the marketplace and all these feelings just flooded back at once.'

Bryn looked steadily at Lorien. 'Feelings?' he echoed.

'How I felt about you never changed, Bryn. I know it's been a long time, and that might be difficult to believe. It's true. But... it was wrong of me to assume that you would feel the same. You've been here for years – you've had time to think things through, move on, even meet someone new—which I wouldn't be angry about, by the way. I would understand. I just mean... I haven't had much time to think. So my feelings never changed. And when I saw you, I just wanted to go back to how things were years ago.' Lorien was refusing to meet Bryn's gaze. 'It's not an excuse. I shouldn't have done what I did. It was wrong, and I'm very sorry.'

For a few seconds, Bryn just looked at Lorien. Then he spoke. 'Maybe you should take some time to think now.'

She nodded.

'And I will too. You need to understand that no matter how much time I've had, I still need to think this through. A lot has changed.'

Lorien nodded again, her eyes fixed on the floor.

'Look at me, lass.'

After a moment, she did. She even forced a small smile.

Bryn nodded. 'I'm glad you're back,' he told her. When he didn't say anything else, Lorien took it as her cue to leave.

She walked straight to the ladder leading out of the Guildhall and climbed it as quickly as she could. When she was out, she kept moving – avoiding the citizens of Riften who were still in a celebratory mood, avoiding everyone, until she made it to the docks.

There, she sat down, took her boots and socks off and swung her legs over the edge of the jetty. Her toes touched the water – cold – and she could almost feel her friends' presences. Bryn, leaning against the nearby post. Rune, sitting cross-legged to her side.

Lorien sniffed and wiped her eyes. She wasn't going to cry about this.

'Haven't they made it a crime for you to take your boots off in public yet?'

Lorien looked over her shoulder. Rune was standing behind her, a smile on his face.

She made herself smile back. 'I'll have to find out. Wouldn't want to be committing any crimes.'

Rune laughed and sat down beside her – legs crossed. 'Especially not with this newfound glory. All eyes are on you, Lorien.'

'Don't.' Lorien grimaced.

'So. What's someone so widely loved doing here on their own?'

Lorien shrugged. 'Felt like getting away from it?'

'Isn't that why you were in the Guildhall?' Rune said gently. 'Or am I thinking of the wrong _it_?'

Lorien looked sideways at Rune, then sighed. 'Did Bryn tell you, then?'

'Did he tell me?' Rune repeated. 'Did he tell me, his best friend, that the girl he's been waiting for over the past few years finally came back and kissed him?' He smiled at Lorien. 'Of course he did.'

Lorien frowned. 'I told him not to wait.'

'He can be like you, in that he doesn't always listen.'

'But... he's angry with me.'

Rune shrugged. 'Maybe. I think he's mostly confused. Maybe a little overwhelmed. But I'm almost certain that he still has feelings for—'

'Don't,' Lorien said. She drew her knees up to her chest and leaned her forehead against them. 'Don't give me hope if there's a chance of it being false,' she mumbled.

'This is the most emotional I've ever seen you, Lori,' Rune observed. He elbowed Lorien, and she looked up. 'You must really care about this _Brynjolf_.'

'Despite the fact that he's a no-good thief,' Lorien said. Then she sighed. 'I do. Care about him, I mean. A lot.'

'I know.' Rune smiled – somewhat proudly. 'And I mean this, Lori – I wouldn't choose anyone else for him. I think you're—Well. It's not up to me.'

Lorien shifted towards Rune and leant on his shoulder. 'Thank you,' she said quietly.

'Are you crying?'

'No.'

'Hm. Whatever you say.'

'I know I need to let him think. It's not up to you.'

'Or you. So we're leaving a decision completely up to Bryn? That has to be a first.'

Lorien laughed. 'Oh, gods. What are we thinking?'

'Well, I'm assuming you're drunk.'

'That would explain a lot.'

'But you're not?'

'I'm not.'

'And you weren't when you...'

'No – I'd only just arrived.'

Rune nodded. 'That was brave.'

'Impulsive,' Lorien said disdainfully.

'Come on. You said you would tell me everything that's happened recently. Don't you think you should get started?'

* * *

Lorien kept her distance from Bryn for most of the next day. He clearly needed space, and for what it was worth Lorien tried to think things through too, despite how busy she was. To think about Bryn, and how she felt about him. It was stupid – this wasn't something she needed to think about. The way she felt about Bryn was just a given. It had become almost integral to her.

Truthfully, she had wondered if the 'way she felt' was—well, love. It was difficult to tell. After all, Lorien had very little experience of love. Her father had loved her, of course... but he wasn't the type to say so. And then he'd left.

As far as Lorien could tell, there was no definition of love. If she had to come up with one, she'd probably say that if you loved someone, you put them before yourself. Without even thinking about it.

Frustrated with her train of thought, Lorien sighed and stood up again. She hoped Bryn's precious thinking was going better.

It wasn't. Bryn was sat in his room the next morning, his head resting in his hands. He knew he should be working, but every time he went into the Guildhall he seemed to look for Lorien. He knew from experience that when she was here, his eyes always found her before anyone else. And now she was in Riften, but avoiding the Guildhall – which was very strange in itself.

Bryn sat up straight and shook his head, annoyed. This wasn't helping at all. What was he supposed to be thinking about again?

How he felt about Lorien. Right.

Well, of course he'd liked her. A lot. If he was really, completely honest with himself, he'd liked her a little from the first time he'd met her. But while they were hunting down Karliah, it had never really seemed like a good time to mention that. And he had to consider their friendship too. She was second only to Rune, and the trio meant a lot to Bryn. How would it affect Rune if Bryn and Lorien were together?

No – he was supposed to be thinking about how he felt. And maybe a little about how Lorien felt. She seemed to still care about him, but what she'd said bothered Bryn. That she'd never had time to think about it, so her feelings hadn't changed. Did that mean that soon enough, her thoughts and feelings would sort themselves out and she'd realise that actually, she didn't see Bryn in that way at all? And then she'd have to end the whole thing, and it would be painful for everyone—

Painful for Bryn, because he really cared about Lorien.

There it was. That was how he felt. He still cared, and didn't want to think about the possibility that Lorien only cared because she hadn't thought it through.

There was a knock on the door, and Bryn opened it to find Rune.

'How are you?' he asked.

Bryn stood back from the door, letting his friend in – and putting off answering. 'I'm fine,' he said eventually.

Rune got straight to the point. 'Do you know how you feel about—'

'I still like her. A lot.'

Rune nodded slowly, appearing to think this over. Then he smiled. 'No surprises there, then. Honestly, I don't know why you're being so dramatic, Bryn.'

Bryn glared, sitting down on the chest at the foot of his bed. 'What are you on about?'

'You've been practically in love with her for the last four years.'

'I—It has not been four years! And I'm not _in love_ with anyone,' he added.

Rune looked at his friend for a few seconds. 'Are you going to talk to her? She's in the Guildhall right now. I just saw her.'

'I want to. But I said I needed time—'

'Bryn, don't do this because of your Nord pride.' Rune couldn't help grinning.

Bryn punched him in the arm. 'I'm not.'

'But you know how you feel about her.'

After sighing and pausing for a moment, Bryn nodded.

' _Then tell her that_. It's not that difficult. If I liked someone as much as you like Lorien, they'd be mine by now.'

Bryn laughed. 'I'll believe that when I see it.'

'Don't change the subject. If you don't go and find her right now, I'll bring her in here.'

'Alright,' Bryn said. 'Alright!'

Rune yanked him up from his seat by the arm. 'Come on, come on, come on.'

Bryn laughed and opened the door, searching the Guildhall as soon as he rounded the corner. Searching for a dark head of curls, or that perfect shooting stance, or—

Or Lorien disappearing up the ladder that led out of the Guildhall, a knapsack on her back.

'Oh no,' Rune murmured. 'The tour.'

 _The tour._ How had Bryn not thought of that in the day that had passed? Lorien was leaving.

Rune grabbed his shoulder. 'Bryn! Why are you still standing here?'

Bryn nodded and hurried towards the ladder. He had to catch up to Lorien before she left – again.

* * *

Delphine and Esbern were already waiting for Lorien when she made it to the stables. They didn't have to wait much longer. Even as Delphine was reprimanding Lorien for her lateness, she was swinging her knapsack from her back and boarding the carriage.

'Come on, then,' she said in an annoyed voice. 'Seeing as we're running so late.'

After another muttered comment, Delphine followed Lorien. Both she and Esbern settled into their seats, and the carriage pulled away with the guards riding behind.

A few seconds later, Bryn rushed through the gates of Riften. He stumbled to a stop when he saw the carriage moving away from the city.

_No. Not again._

'LORIEN!' Bryn yelled, his hands cupped around his mouth.

Over the sound of the horses' hooves and the cart trundling over the slightly uneven road, Lorien heard nothing.


	47. I've Come So Far

Lorien's mood improved marginally when she reached Whiterun that evening. It was nice to be in another familiar city, and there were people there she actually wanted to see. Including Jarl Balgruuf.

He was waiting for her, accompanied by Irileth and Proventus Avenicci, when she arrived in Whiterun. She managed a smile, and Balgruuf actually pulled her into a hug. Lorien almost laughed in surprise. Then again, Balgruuf was the Jarl who visited the inn by night for a drink with his people. He had helped Lorien first find the Greybeards, and assisted her in defeating Alduin even when it meant capturing a dragon in his castle. Lorien found herself reciprocating the hug.

'Well done,' Balgruuf said as he released her. Then, louder, 'I remember when you first came to Dragonsreach. You were – what, seventeen years of age?'

'Sixteen,' Lorien said.

'Just a girl. And now you've slain Alduin!'

'I had help.'

Balgruuf clapped a hand on her shoulder. 'Don't be so humble. I look forward to dining together tomorrow. But now – I'm sure you're tired. All of the necessary arrangements have been made for your travelling companions to stay in the inn, of course.'

'Thank you, my lord. We'll go there now.'

'Not so fast, Lorien. You're welcome to stay in Dragonsreach for the duration of your visit to Whiterun.'

Lorien glanced back at Delphine and Esbern, then at Jarl Balgruuf. She smiled. 'Thank you – I'm honoured.'

'Don't mention it. Come with me – I'll show you where you'll be staying.'

Lorien followed the Jarl without looking back at the Blades.

When she was finally alone that night, in the truly lovely room that Balgruuf had shown her to, Lorien let the smile drop from her face and finally allowed herself to think about Bryn.

She had never really allowed herself to fully consider the possibility that he wouldn't feel the same about her. But not only had he been "thinking" for the whole time Lorien had been in Riften, he'd let her leave without saying anything. Lorien had been so annoyed – or hurt, or upset, or embarrassed – that she'd forgotten to even say goodbye to Rune. She felt a wave of guilt. He hadn't done anything wrong. He'd been there for her the whole time, actually.

Lorien let her head fall into her hands, sighing. Alright. She just had to move on. Just get over it. No big deal.

But then... what? Could she and Bryn be friends again? Could Lorien go back to Riften, as she'd always planned to? She'd undoubtedly made things awkward. The dynamic between herself and her two best friends would never be the same.

Lorien dug her fingers into her hair, impossibly angry at herself. Bryn and Rune meant more to her than anything. She'd been so stupid... and now she might have lost them both. Even if Rune still wanted to be her friend, it would be selfish for Lorien to go back to the Guild and potentially cause a rift in Bryn and Rune's friendship too. _Gods._

She fell back onto her bed, arms spread out. She knew she wouldn't sleep well that night. Instead, she practised braiding her hair until her arms ached too much to continue. Then, finally, Lorien's eyes couldn't stay open any longer and she fell into a troubled sleep.

* * *

The next day consisted of the best celebrations Lorien had been to so far.

They began in the Bannered Mare, where Hulda hugged Lorien tightly as soon as she entered. Lorien was surprised – she hadn't even expected the innkeeper to remember her, let alone be so happy to see her. But it was a pleasant surprise. Lorien immediately felt undeserving when she remembered the mammoth tusk she'd stolen from the Bannered Mare years ago.

A delicious meal was prepared for Lorien's lunch at the inn, but as soon as she'd finished it the doors were flung open and the Companions seemed to almost flood in.

Lorien got to her feet, covering her mouth as she swallowed the food she'd been eating. Before she could say anything, Erik pushed through the others and hugged her. Lorien laughed. She'd never been hugged so much before.

'Good to see you again, Lorien,' Farkas said when he saw her. 'Hope you haven't forgotten how you found out you were Dragonborn?'

Lorien rolled her eyes, looking to Vilkas. 'Let me guess – he's taking credit for that?'

Vilkas laughed. 'Constantly.'

'Wow,' Farkas said, his eyebrows raised at Lorien. 'You're... different.'

'Different?' Lorien echoed.

'More confident,' Farkas elaborated. 'You're smiling. And standing differently.'

'What are you doing, analysing her posture?' a snarky voice said. Lorien glanced to one side, where Aela had already sat down. 'Let's just start drinking already. We're supposed to be celebrating.'

Lorien wondered if Aela was in a bad mood or always like this.

'Not yet, El,' Vilkas said. 'Lorien has to be sober for the banquet later.'

Erik got Lorien's attention again. 'You didn't come back—last time I saw you, I mean.'

More guilt. Lorien immediately apologised. 'I was in such a rush, Erik. Trying to arrange a truce to I could summon Odahviing and get to... Sovngarde.' She trailed off as she saw how everyone was looking at her.

Farkas laughed. 'You say these things so casually, Lorien. You have to tell us the full story before mentioning that you summoned a dragon!'

So Lorien sat down again, and was quickly surrounded by the Companions and then other citizens as she told the whole story, from the very beginning – her arrival in Skyrim. Hulda smiled as Lorien sung her praises, and listened with as much rapture as anyone else as Lorien spoke of Rorikstead, then Riften, then discovering she was Dragonborn at eighteen years old. She left out anything about the Thieves Guild, but told them about her training with the Greybeards and even spoke a little Dovah for them. The infiltration of the Thalmor Embassy was described in detail, and all interruptions and voices went quiet when Lorien told them how she'd watched her best friend's throat get cut open, and how she'd given herself up to the Thalmor afterwards. She didn't go into detail about what had happened then. Used words like 'interrogated' and 'questioned', and explained that the Thalmor would do anything to get information. She didn't need to say any more than that.

Afterwards came Lorien's dramatic rescue by General Tullius. She glossed over the days she'd spent in pain and in bed, avoiding everyone. But she did describe the truce negotiations, the public announcement she'd made, and hunting down the Elder Scroll. She even mentioned Paarthurnax, but referred to him only as the Greybeard's mysterious leader. Although she hoped there'd soon be peace between men and dragons, she didn't want to say anything that could end up putting Paarthurnax in danger. No, instead she skipped to her first fight with Alduin and how close she'd come to falling to her death. She improvised her story, explaining that Paarthurnax, the very much human Paarthurnax, had used some powerful magic to save her.

Lorien briefly described her training with the Blades after that, which was less training and more hunting down dragons. Then, finally, she told them all about summoning Odahviing, her journey to Sovngarde and the second fight with Alduin – the fight which proved to be his last. She told them about the sky she stared at as Alduin died.

'He was blinded,' Lorien said, speaking slowly as she neared the end of her tale. The inn was silent. 'I knew the other warriors would soon finish him off. I looked up. The sky there... like every colour is contained within it, swirling endlessly. And when you look into the very centre, it feels like you're falling into it.' She smiled at them all. So many of them dreamed of Sovngarde, but until now there had been no way of knowing what it was actually like. No living person could ever return from Sovngarde, after all. 'My leg was crushed – bones in pieces, flesh a useless bag. But for a moment I didn't feel a thing – I just saw the sky. Then I was knocked out.'

A laugh rippled through the room.

'When I woke up, I was back in Skyrim,' Lorien said. 'With Paarthurnax, who healed me. He spoke to the dragons who had come to meet me there – of peace.' No matter who Lorien told the story to, this was the part she always emphasised. Peace between dragons and men. And after everything the assembled company had heard, this was hardly the most shocking part. They believed it was possible, she could tell.

Lorien glanced out of the window, and saw that the sky was slowly growing darker. 'I should go,' she said apologetically. 'The Jarl will be expecting me soon.'

The crowd let her go, albeit reluctantly, with the promise that she would be in Jorvasskr after the banquet. Lorien promised she would.

When she finally left the inn, she was grinning. It was only when she was halfway up the steps to Dragonsreach that she remembered—

 _Bryn._ His name appeared in her head and seemed to weigh it down. Her smile disappeared. She hadn't had the chance to tell him the full story – or Rune. She wondered if she ever would now.

Lorien changed into a dress and tried to leave thoughts of Riften behind with her armour when she left her room. She made her way slowly towards the throne room, but stopped in the doorway when she reached it.

Servants were shifting the tables into place, and no sooner had they finished than food was rushed in and arranged. Proventus Avenicci was speaking to everyone in turn, usually to give them orders of some kind.

'What do you mean, Mikael isn't here?' he said particularly loudly as Lorien watched. 'He can't _not be here_! We need music! It's the Dragonborn's victory tour, for Sovngarde's sake!'

Lorien clutched the doorframe as though holding herself up. Maybe it was the sheer overwhelming nature of her newfound fame; maybe it was everything that had happened with Bryn. Or maybe it was the sheer relief of being free to enjoy the aftermath of Alduin's death rather than constantly working towards it. Whatever it was, Lorien suddenly felt as though she might burst into tears.

'Dragonborn!' an accented voice called. Lorien looked across the hall to see Farengar, the court mage, hastening towards her.

She summoned a smile and greeted him warmly.

'I'm glad to finally speak with you, Lorien,' he said. 'Would you accompany me to my chambers? I have many questions for you, if you'd be willing to answer them.'

Glad of the distraction, Lorien followed Farengar and obediently answered every question she could as he scribbled down her responses. She had no idea how he'd read them afterwards – there were several blots of ink, and his handwriting was practically a scrawl – but he seemed pleased. By the time they were finished, the bustling in the hall seemed to have quietened, and Farengar released Lorien.

Just in time, too, because Jarl Balgruuf had appeared at the door.

'Farengar!' he said good-naturedly. 'I should've known it was you keeping my guest of honour all to yourself.'

'She is a mine of information, my lord,' Farengar explained. 'Who else could tell us how it feels to ride a dragon?'

Balgruuf laughed. 'You make a good point, my friend. I hope you won't mind if I direct her attention elsewhere for a while?'

'I've asked all the questions I wish to, my lord.'

'Perfect. Lorien?' He offered her his arm, and Lorien gladly accepted.

When they re-entered the hall, Balgruuf stopped Lorien for a moment.

'If I may present,' he said in a voice accustomed to commanding attention, 'Lorien – our Dragonborn and guest of honour tonight!'

Lorien realised that most of the seats at the table were already full. Their occupants let out a cheer, and she couldn't help but smile. She even gave them a wave.

'Come,' Balgruuf said. 'You must be hungry after Farengar's questioning.'

'Ravenous,' Lorien admitted. 'Will he be attending the meal?'

'Once he's committed your answers to memory, I'm sure. Do not fear, Dragonborn – I'll make sure he doesn't interrogate you.'

Lorien laughed and thanked him, then allowed herself to be led to her seat at the Jarl's side. For some reason, the grandeur of it all impacted her more in Whiterun. She felt almost dizzy.

It was, she supposed, because this was almost the first place in Skyrim she'd seen. It had known her when she was sixteen and didn't have a Septim to her name – when she had to steal apples from barrels and beg for a job. The first time she'd been in this hall, she had been Sahla – skinny, dressed in rags and clutching a sack containing the only belongings she had.

Lorien looked up, then around her. She ran her fingers along the fine fabric of her dress. She looked at the tremendous food that had been prepared in her honour. She laughed at the Jarl of Whiterun's joke as he poured her some wine.

 _I've come so far,_ she realised. She thought of her father – for the first time in a while. And finally, she knew that he would be proud of her.


	48. Goodnight

Now, this does seem like a perfect ending, doesn't it? Lorien is happy – or will be soon enough. She is famous and loved by almost everyone, and she's finally come to terms with her father's death.

But at the same time, it leaves so many questions unanswered. Does Bryn ever find Lorien and tell her how he feels? Does she end up in Riften, or somewhere else entirely? Is there ever peace between Imperials and Stormcloaks, or men and dragons? When will the gods take their revenge on Lorien for bypassing her destiny – for snubbing fate?

And – I do hope you haven't forgotten this part, though it was a long time ago – what became of the man who ventured into the burning ruins of Helgen and found a bow with the name Sahla engraved in it?

These are all important questions, and I'm sure you have even more. But I grow tired. It happens, even to my kind.

I'll tell you the rest another time.

**~ END OF BOOK ONE ~**


	49. Bonus Chapter

Hello readers!

It feels so strange even writing that! When I wrote The Greatest Tale, it was purely for my own enjoyment. I never intended for anyone else to read it or thought they would want to, so every time I see a new hit on AO3 it makes me so happy - let alone kudos or comments! So thank you so much for reading.

With that out of the way, it seems like people have started reaching the end of the Tale and I know it leaves a lot of questions unanswered... so I'd like to somehow be able to interact and talk to you about them. For questions that won't take long to answer, by all means leave them in a comment on this chapter.

Also YES I AM WRITING THE SEQUEL, but I'm always very nervous to upload chapters before the whole thing is finished in case I ever want to go back and change them. However, I also know that waiting for the whole sequel would require patience that many people definitely don't have. (I certainly don't!) So I'll have to think about that. Let me know your thoughts/questions/anything else in the comments.

What I can tell you is that the sequel will be called The Second Greatest Tale - because I can't resist a play on words :)

Thank you again for reading  
from Aja


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